


Life isn't a science

by Sesquipedalian_Numeral



Category: The Loud House (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Growth, Personal Growth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-06-26 10:47:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 44,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15661680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sesquipedalian_Numeral/pseuds/Sesquipedalian_Numeral
Summary: At the age of 4, Lisa had it all! Her own lab, a family that loved her, even offers to work with the greatest minds the world has ever known! But alas, things change over time, and sometimes, in ways that no one could ever expect. A narrative of her experiences growing up.





	1. Chapter 1

"Approximately three full rotations of the screwdriver here, another set there, and done!"

Lisa Loud currently found herself in her room, surrounded by various mechanical parts, blueprints, and bottles of soap. She stood up holding a screwdriver in her hand and beamed at her most recent creation sitting before her. The machine itself largely resembled a vacuum cleaner for the most part, with the ribbed tube on the front connecting to a hose reel on the wall.

She screwed open a cap on top of the machine, took a bottle of soap and started pouring it into the hole as if it were a gas tank, the viscous fluid slowly flowing down into nothingness. If only it could pour a little faster, her tiny 4-year-old hands were not built to hold soap jugs too long!

"Dinner's ready everyone! Come on down!"

Lynn Sr's voice echoed through the house. Not long after, doors started opening, and the thundering footsteps of screaming kids and teens echoed throughout the hallway, disappearing down the stairs.

That is, except for one.

Lisa ignored the call and continued pouring soap into the machine, the viscous liquid merely dripping out at this point. Probably enough for now. She secured the cap back on top of the machine and set the jug aside.

With that, she walked over to the hose reel, where a few meters were already unrolled before her. She picked up the end of it, complete with a nozzle at the tip and button controls accompanying.

"Lisa! Come get your food or there won't be any left for you!" Rita yelled from downstairs.

Highly unlikely. The family almost always cooked in excess, else there would never be leftovers in the fridge. As undesirable it was to work without proper nourishment, the device was  _so close_  to finally becoming a reality.

So, she pushed the thought side and pointed the nozzle towards the area that she was just working at, thumb positioned above a button and ready to press down. No invention was complete without a demonstration. A few more minutes couldn't hurt!

"We have mac and cheese bites!" Lori called up to her.

Her ears perked up at that. Now that was a hard one to refuse. Maybe, just maybe she should come down after all. Perhaps it was fallacious to assume that  _every_  dinner cooked would be left over, maybe it'd be in her best interests to grab her share as soon as possible…

She shook her head and continued pointing. The actual food being consumed didn't matter before. It certainly didn't have to matter now. Surely, she should still put it off right? Of course she could wait a few minutes. What's a few minutes waiting for the tantalizing tastes of the dehydrated durum wheat molds, infused with coagulated mammalian secretions, fried into the delectable scrumptiousness that was Lynn Sr's culinary masterpiece, street name 'mac and cheese bites'… Such meticulous craftsmanship…

Alright, maybe the device can wait after all.

So, she threw the hose to the side and sighed walking out the door, defeated once again by her primal urges. The human instinct to satisfy hunger really was a force to be reckoned with. She walked downstairs and into the kitchen, slotting herself into the dining table where the rest of the family sat.

"Here you go sweetie," Rita said as she put some mac and cheese bites on Lisa's plate.

Lisa started salivating through the grin that had formed on her face. "Normally, I'd be aversive due to the high concentrations of saturated fat, but what's a treat once in a while?" She took a fork and sliced a mac and cheese bite in half, revealing its delightfully gooey interior.

"Lisa, they're mac and cheese  _bites_ , you're supposed to use your fingers," Lola said.

"I refuse to conform to these arbitrary standards. Unlike you, I value the cleanliness of my digiti manus," she responded.

Sure enough, she glanced down at Lola's fingers, and they were covered in crumbs, oil, and bits of cheese.

"You're talking about cleanliness, go lecture Lana!"

Lola pointed to her left, and sure enough, Lana's face was covered with bits of mac and cheese bites, scarfing them down like there was no tomorrow.

"Just because she has a complete disregard for personal hygiene doesn't mean I should follow." Lisa started eating the mac and cheese bite with her fork.

"You're one to talk," Lori said while pointing her fork at Lisa. "Whenever you eat chocolate, you literally make the biggest mess out of all of us."

Okay, true. That was embarrassing. A few snickers were heard around the table as Lisa picked popped another mac and cheese bite into her mouth, this time using her hands.

"Sooooo Lori, how do you feel about going off to senior year?" Lynn Sr. asked while pointing a fork at her.

She glanced up from her phone. "Oh that!" She glanced down at her salad and frowned. "I'm really nervous, the end feels so close and so far at the same time…"

"I understand honey, if you ever wanna ask us anything let us know, okay?" Rita reassured her.

"Oh yeah!" Lynn piped up. "I'm going into 8th grade and I'm nervous too!"

"I'm about to  _start_  high school!" Luan added. "The thing is, I'm not nervous at all. It just sounds like I have to say 'hi' to everyone all the time!" She giggled, eliciting groans from everyone else at the table.

"While you continue mucking about with your egregious wordplay, I have ascended beyond baseline public education," Lisa said. "Such mind-numbing reiteration of juvenile content, all the more reason to be thankful I won't be going."

Lynn Sr.'s eyes widened as he almost choked on his food and coughed. He grabbed a glass of water and chugged all its contents down.

"What was that?" He faced his daughter with a sheepish grin.

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "I won't be attending public education, will I now?"

"Uhh…" he cleared his throat and his eyes wandered across the table over to another member of the Loud family. "So, Lincoln, how was your time over at Clyde's place today?"

"Oh, it was awesome!" he said. "We dressed up in Ace savvy costumes and practiced throwing cards at apples!" He took out a card from his pocket and tossed it like a frisbee. However, instead of flying straight ahead, it curved, flopped and landed in Luna's plate to his top left.

"Dude, what gives?" she pinched the card off and threw it away behind her.

Lisa shook her head as she continued to eat. If this kind of tomfoolery was their idea of time well spent, then she didn't want anything to do with it. Soon however, there was a slight pang of disappointment when her hands reached in and felt only crumbs and oil. Bite-sized treats, deliberately designed for mindless consumption, gone in a flash.

Properly nourished and fully satiated, the device upstairs called for her to give a proper demonstration. No reason to stay around any longer, there was only inane casual banter and small talk being thrown around. So, she hopped off the table and climbed up the stairs again, through the hall and back into her lab.

In the lab, she unrolled the hose reel several meters and picked up the nozzle. She gazed down as she took a few moments to caress the device.

"Ohh, my baby's going for a test drive!" she whispered to herself. With that, she walked out the room and went down the stairs, carrying the nozzle with her.

"Well, you all know the drill by now. Put your own dishes back in the sink, Lynn and Lucy you're on washing duty today," Lynn Sr. commanded. A few groans followed, but nonetheless plates and utensils clanked against each other as everyone started doing their part.

Lynn Sr raised an eyebrow as she glanced to the side and saw Lisa enter the dining room. "What are you doing with that thing Lisa?" he asked pointing a finger. "Don't think I didn't notice you leaving the dining table without excusing yourself either."

"Apologies for my personal misconduct, but I believe we may have a more efficient method of remediating the disarray on the dining table," Lisa replied.

Lynn Sr crossed his arms and squinted down at his daughter. "Really now? I'm sure you won't mind showing us then!"

"With pleasure." Lisa held the nozzle in front of her for the entire room to see. "Behold!"

Rita raised an eyebrow. "What is that?"

"This is a segment of my latest prototype, the demonstration of which has been interrupted with a certain communal feeding period until now," Lisa said, adjusting her glasses. "I dub thee the 'soap machine'."

"Ooh, sounds fancy!" Leni piped up. "What does it do?"

"Quite simple really. The actual machine itself is stored up with saponified triglycerides, which is then infused with-"

"Forget the explanation, are you sure it's better than just doing things the way we usually do it?" Lynn Sr. directed both his arms at the rest of the loud siblings for emphasis.

"Traditionalism: a futile resistance to change, and a refusal to make progress for the better." She repositioned the tube in her hands, now pointing it at the table. "For the purposes of demonstration, I request that each of my siblings place their respective dishes back onto the table."

Some more groans could be heard from the loud siblings, but they nonetheless obliged. The loud parents backed themselves against a wall while the rest of the family peeked from the kitchen entrance.

Lisa pressed a button on the nozzle, and a humming sound started sounding upstairs. A few seconds later, foam started shooting out of the tube, encapsulating the dining table, the chairs, and just about everything in the entire room. A few panicked screams came from the kitchen, many of them pleading to turn the machine off. Eventually, the foam stopped accumulating, and the entire room was stuffed.

"Okay, you're grounded."

Lisa started rubbing her chin and hummed to herself in the midst of all the bubbles surrounding her. That wasn't supposed to happen, what could have possibly went wrong here?

"I'd tell dad, but he just grounded you so…"

"Man, you really need to clean up your track record! Get it?"

"Ugh, I hate soap!"

Despite the constant jeering from her siblings, Lisa still stood, now messing with the nozzle on her soap machine. Slowly, the foam around her dissipated, bubbling downwards and revealing faces of the loud family. Soon, the entire room was without a trace of the soapy odor or residue, leaving behind widened eyes and dropped jaws.

The tablecloth on the dining table was properly straightened and free of any stains or residue. The plates were stacked in piles and the glasses were neatly organized in rows at the edge, all of which were sparkling clean without a speck. The chairs were properly pushed in an organized, and area surrounding the table was scot-free of any debris to speak of

"Well, uh, that was certainly something," Rita commented.

"Strange, the foam should have dissipated faster." Lisa shrugged.

"Aw sweet! I got this!" Lynn grabbed the pile of plates and disappeared into the kitchen.

Lucy took the glass cups with her as well, and the rest of the siblings started making their way to their respective rooms, many of which stole glances at Lisa. There were various indistinct chatters from the group, most of which was about what had just occurred in the dining room.

"I trust that the punishment inflicted upon me will be revoked." With that, Lisa gave a quick puff to the tip of the nozzle.

Lynn Sr. simply nodded. Maintaining his shocked demeanor, he walked out the dining room into the Loud parents' bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

"Well, now that we've got that out of the way, there's something I need to talk to you about," Rita said.

She reached down and took Lisa's hand, tugging her along to the couch. Initially, she felt resistance from the child, but she eventually obliged and walked with her towards the cushiony surface. There, they both sat down on each side facing each other.

"I can't help but express concern over the implications behind why we are situated on this polyester surface," Lisa said. "I would expect that remaining in the dining area would have sufficed if this conversation were to cover relatively inconsequential matters."

"No, this is really important. I'm just not sure how to tell you this."

Lisa crossed her arms. "Try me."

With that, Rita took a deep breath. "Lisa, remember when you said you weren't gonna go through public education?"

"Why should I? I've attained a PhD in 4 different scientific fields, I'm currently the youngest recipient of the Junior Nobel Prize in history, and my life's work is spent in laboratories, elsewhere or my own, constantly discovering and innovating at every opportunity." She recounted those experiences with the fingers on her left hand. "Clearly, I'm beyond learning baseline skills."

Rita gazed down at her daughter as she carefully considered her next words.

"Lisa, you're really smart. There's no doubt about that. We knew you were special ever since you said your first words. You've only been here for 4 years, and already you're doing all these we could only ever dream of!" Pride glimmered within her eyes as she said those words.

"Yes, we've established that fact already," she flatly responded.

"But the thing is, we think there's so much more for you to explore out there. Things that you may not immediately understand."

"Precisely the gap I aim to close within my studies."

A chuckle escaped Rita. "No, not those things. I'm talking about something very different."

"What could possibly be more important than uncovering the mysteries of life itself!?" Lisa exclaimed with her arms out in front of her.

"Well…" Rita glanced to the side before refocusing on her daughter. "We think there's more to life than science."

Lisa's eye twitched as she forced a grin on her face and stared up at her mother. "Such as?"

Rita's gaze softened as a frown manifested itself onto her face. "There are some things that just being smart can't teach you."

If there was any kind of a flimsy effort at feigning approval before, they were now thrown out the window. Lisa completely dropped her effort at forcing a grin on her face as she let out an exasperated sigh and strained her eye muscles to roll them as far as she could.

"You're not just a scientist, you're a person and a human being." Rita put a hand on Lisa's shoulder. "You deserve the opportunity to meet all kinds of people, to make friends, and to broaden your perspective. You deserve to feel things, create experiences, and learn from them. You deserve to have a childhood, grow up, and explore what makes us who we are."

"Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous." Lisa pushed her mother's hand aside. "You've already meddled many times in what would have otherwise been my many successful endeavors, but this… you're an enemy of progress in the name of science!"

With that, she jumped off from the couch and stormed off upstairs.

She entered her lab and started vigorously rolling up the hose reel. Her blood boiled as if it was ultra-pasteurized by Louis Pasteur himself. More to life than science? How could her maternal figure suggest something so blatantly false!? Science, the foundation of everything as we know it. A logical explanation for all, instilling us with a semblance of true objectivity. The answer to humanity's most pressing questions, the gateway to human advancement, and a pathway to realization of potential. Somehow, her mother thought this wasn't important!?

With the hose completely rolled in, she walked over to her door and slammed it shut. Her mother was clearly treating her like any other 4-year-old. If anything, she was much more than that. Just what else did she have to do to prove herself? Did her mother not appreciate her for what she was!?

If her parents couldn't be reasoned with, then perhaps she'd have to take more  _extreme_ measures. Yes, they'd see things exactly as she saw it, she would make sure of that. An idea brewed within her head, and they were soon transcribed onto a sheet of paper she grabbed from the side.

A knock was heard at the door. "Lisa? Are you there?

Lisa suddenly gasped as her eyes widened and she dropped her pencil. "What mind control device!?"

"What? No, I just want to talk."

With a sigh of relief, Lisa picked her pencil up and started working on her blueprint again. "Sure, that went well last time," she responded dryly.

"Can I come in?"

Lisa rolled her eyes as the door creaked open from behind and Rita walked into the room. She glanced both ways before slowly closing the door behind her and approaching her daughter, who continued to stare down at her work.

Rita was now in front of the desk, where Lisa didn't turn to acknowledge her mother at all.

"I'm afraid my views on this will remain invariably unchanged," she flatly stated.

"What are you working on?" Rita asked, craning her head over her daughter's shoulder.

"Work I could never conduct in grade school," she muttered.

Rita opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it and put her hands behind her back. There she stood and watched as the sounds of pencil markings and erasers filled the room. She caught a glimpse, most of which was math and techno-babble, but it didn't take a genius to read the large text at the top. Something called a 'Coercive Persuasion Device'.

Seeing this, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "You know, you don't have to do this," she said.

"You clearly don't understand," Lisa spat out.

Rita shook her head but didn't respond. Silence overcame the duo again as she continued to watch her daughter work.

Eventually, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Lisa, do you know how proud I am of you?"

"You say that all the time," she flatly responded.

A few seconds passed between the two. "Well, I'm proud of all of my kids. You've all been such wonderful gifts."

"That implies inexplicable supernatural cause."

Another instantaneous response, and another few seconds for Rita to think. "Okay, well you're still a gift to me," she said. "I can't explain why we were blessed to have someone as smart as you, but for that I'm eternally grateful."

Lisa stopped scribbling on her blueprint and stole a glance to the right where her mother was standing. Yes, these were words she had heard time and time again. Yet somehow, hearing these things  _now_  made all the difference.  _Something_  about those words felt different. More meaningful.

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

Rita crouched down to her daughter's level and put an arm around her daughter's shoulder. "Because I don't want you to ever forget it."

The tension in Lisa's body slowly dissipated within her mother's comforting embrace. Try as she would with mental calculations and formulating thought processes, they were now all but a mush under the affection that her mother figure gave her. She rested her pencil and her hands lay flat on the desk.

"We know you're special Lisa. I mean, look at this." Rita gestured over to the blueprint in front of her. "How many kids do you think are able to just construct some mind control device on a whim when they're mad at their parents?"

"We're not sending you to public school because we hate you. We're doing it because we care."

Before, Lisa probably would have met that statement with contempt and scorn. Heck, the rational side of her knew that she should probably do so now. Yet somehow, this immensely positive feeling she couldn't explain was threatening to pop the bubble where her cold and calculated reasoning lay within. Some part of her just knew her mother was wrong, but they were now intermingled with all sorts of other conflicting thoughts and feelings she just  _couldn't explain._

So, Lisa put her head down on her desk. Just what was she? What was she missing? How could she feel so uncertain about what's best?

"I'm confused," she whispered.

"I know sweetie."

Rita stroked her daughter's hair as neither of them exchanged words at each other. Lisa's head stayed down, desperately picking at her thoughts and trying to deconstruct them to no avail. They were but endless repetitions of the same irrational feelings that circulated her mind, with no conclusive answer or end to it all.

"Are there really things I don't know?"

"You know a lot of things. There's room for you to become so much more."

Rita turned to face her daughter.

"I just know that you'll grow up to become an amazing woman and do incredible things. And no matter what, we'll always be proud of you, whatever you choose to do."

Lisa turned her head right to face her mother and meet her gaze. There was a certain warmth emanating from Rita, from the genuine care she put into her words, to the love and affection radiating from her actions, down to the smile she put on her face.

"You'll always be my little Lisa."

Such a simple statement with so many implications.

Lisa had already proven herself in many ways if her PhDs and Junior Nobel Prizes weren't indication enough. Even her mom knew that, and she said time and time again just how proud she was. Despite all of this, Lisa was faced with the proposition of attending the most juvenile form of education in its entirety.

But what more, there was the possibility that  _maybe_  her mother was right. She had brushed hands with these emotions and feelings she couldn't even begin to rationalize or understand just now. What if there really were things that were far beyond her comprehension? Things that supposedly couldn't just be learned by reading about them. Things she needed first hand-experience with, a type that only grade school could offer.

Lisa glanced down at her blueprint, too close to her face to discern anything reasonable. She knew however that it housed the seedlings of a creation that would protect the sanctity of her research. In a way, wasn't she also barring herself from an opportunity? Wasn't this the very definition of close-mindedness?

Her head was lifted up, giving herself a view of the entire blueprint. Instead of stepping forward, she attempted to change the world around her to shield herself. That was the opposite of scientific. She stood for discovery and understanding, yet in the process, she had betrayed her own values. If grade school was the gateway to an entirely new world perspective she couldn't even begin to understand, then she should be making an effort to do so.

That meant she could only be led to one conclusion.

"Mother?"

"Yes sweetie?"

With grit teeth and a smile forced on her face, she turned towards her mother and said the following words: "I'm willing to undergo public education."

Rita smiled back as well. "I'm glad to hear that. I know it's not exactly what you want, but the fact that you're willing to give it a shot is really mature of you."

She reached in for a hug, which Lisa didn't immediately return. There, Rita squeezed the duo, with her daughter's arms hanging to the side within the embrace.

It was a strange feeling, being in a hug. When it came down to it, hugging was just an action. However, here it took on a special meaning. Lisa was already in close physical proximity to her mother but physically being in a hug was inexplicably different. In spite of all these emotions, all the tension swirling within her, somehow this  _feeling_  of closeness was a golden ray of sunlight to dissipate all the negativity within.

Eventually, Rita let go, admiring her daughter one last time.

"I'm really proud of you sweetie." She took her index finger and bopped it on Lisa's nose, chuckling at that. Lisa remained neutral in her demeanor, eyes glancing to her left.

Rita finally stood and turned to make her way towards the door. As she opened it, she turned to admire her daughter one last time, who had her head tilted downwards at the desk now.

"Love you Lisa."

The door finally clicked shut with that.

Lisa remained stunned as she continued staring down. She glanced down at her arm and rubbed it where Rita's arms embraced her. Something about the way she was held just felt nice. Was this maybe the kind of thing her mother was talking about? Could school explain why she felt these things?

Pushing that thought of her mind, Lisa picked up a pencil and straightening the sheet out. The blueprint was calling out to her to be finished in its entirety. No shame in finishing a project she started, right?

For a while, that was exactly what she did. Slowly, her sheet was filled with more scrawls and crude sketches of her device, the results of countless accumulated experiences and knowledge manifesting themselves into a visible form.

As she worked however, her mind wandered in various directions. Why did she start the project? Wasn't she making the 'Coercive Persuasion Device' to avoid precisely what she had agreed to do earlier? Why would she have to draft a blueprint for this device now?

Perhaps she could complete the blueprint as a theory. It could easily be a side project, or a proof of concept. One such exhibition of the potential that science had to offer. It's not like she had to use it to avoid grade school anyway. She could use it for other things, right?

She glanced down at the sheet in front of her and was suddenly snapped back into reality. Deep in thought, the past few several seconds were riddled with all sorts of miscalculations and mistakes.

In an attempt to remedy the mistakes, she flipped her pencil upside down and started erasing. At first it was with care, just applying enough friction to remove the smoothly drawn lines. However, she rubbed just a little bit too hard, and suddenly the eraser broke off. The metallic tip scratched the sheet, creating a moderately sized tear in the middle.

Lisa facepalmed before grabbing the sheet, crumpling it up, and throwing it behind her. How ironic, in an attempt to fix a mistake, she had made a bigger one, more permanent than the last. Really, the whole blueprint was a mistake. The only thing it could be good for was as a temptation to back down on what was right. If she really was a girl of science, then she should be willing to dive into new ventures. Her choice was locked in. Whether it was a good one or not would remain to be seen.

So why did she still feel so bothered?

Lisa turned and hopped off her desk, walking towards the soap machine on the floor. Some part of her still  _really_  didn't want to go. No doubt, school would be filled with an assortment of juvenile delinquents, taught by teachers covering baseline academic subject she already knew. When it came to it, grade school was a place for the collective subordinates. Somehow, she was expected to suffer through all of this, with the promise of some kind of lesson lurking within. Was she really willing to associate herself with those hooligans?

She shook her head and screwed the cap off on top of the machine. No need to dwell on future endeavors, she had today to worry about. Make all the notions she will, they were just notions. In due time, she'd see for herself the value in it. For now, the task at hand: increasing the speed in which the foam did its work.

"Guys, I think we're out of soap!" Lori called through the hall.

Lisa smirked as she grabbed another jug of soap and started pouring it in the tank. They didn't have to find out where it went.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright kids, we're here!"

Rita listened as car doors flew open and kids groaned as they hopped out into the morning sun. They were the last of the people that were remaining in the car, heading off to endure 6 hours of mind-numbing elementary school. No doubt, they would be sitting at desks and memorizing useless facts they didn't particularly care for. She got out of the car herself, walking around the front to the sidewalk where her younger children stood.

"Okay, we have Lincoln, Lucy, Lana, Lola…" she counted pointing at each of them. "Where's Lisa?"

The group standing outside collectively turned their heads towards Vanzilla. The glare of the sun and the poor lighting made it difficult to tell, but there was a silhouette of a certain 4-year-old girl faintly visible. Rita poked her head back into Vanzilla, and sure enough, there was Lisa hiding in the back row reading a book.

"Come on, what are you still doing in there?" Rita called out to her.

Without looking up, Lisa shifted her grip to hold it with her right hand, while her right hand slung the backpack next to her on her back. With that, she waved her right arm around as she felt her way around and out of Vanzilla.

"Why not just put the book down?" Lola asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because, I'm currently undertaking preemptive measures to counteract the effects of the mind-numbingly simplistic material that will be inevitably taught in the classroom." Lisa flipped a page in her book.

Lola merely blinked.

"Never mind."

"Well, since Lisa's gonna be going to school with you guys from now on, why don't you tell her a little about it?" Rita said, nudging Lincoln.

"Oh!" Lincoln adjusted his collar as the group started walking towards the school. "Well, usually there's work you have to do, and a lot of times you're stuck sitting at a desk for an hour at a time."

"Ugh, barf!" Lola rolled her eyes.

"But it's not all bad!" he said glancing over to Lisa. "You get to meet all kinds of new people and make tons of friends! The times you spend with them make it all worth it!"

"I suppose I'll see what the fuss is about in due time," Lisa said.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Rita reassured her.

With that, the group arrived in front of the building entrance, where the sounds inside were muffled and barely audible.

"Well, have fun Lisa," Lincoln said. He pulled the door and walked on ahead, disappearing into the hall before him.

"School's nothing compared to the cold dark emptiness of this world."

"Good luck!"

"You'll need it"

The other siblings went their separate ways, leaving Lisa to herself as she continued reading.

"I'll have you know that 'luck' is an arbitrary human construct-"

Lisa paused as she glanced up from her book, and her eyes widened at the sight. All the commotion that was previously filtered out of her mind became painfully apparent, the murmurs becoming full-blown audible conversations. Students were scattered all across the hall, talking to each other in groups, accessing lockers along the walls, or gripping their saddles tightly as their heads turned all over the place. Less prominent but still present were the select few teachers, putting up decorations, taping posters, and greeting students that found their way to the classroom entrance.

"Here, I can help you find your way," Rita reassured her.

Lisa turned to her left to see her mother holding her hand out beside her. It was a gesture that she had seen time and time again, no doubt she was waiting for someone to accept it. She glanced upwards to see her mother's smile radiating downwards.

Seeing that, she closed her book, stashed it under her right arm, and raised her left arm upwards to accept the gesture. Rita gripped her hand around her daughter's, and they both trekked along through the hallway.

Head turning wildly in all directions, Lisa continued to see and hear the finer details of the events in the hallway. Two boys over there were talking about some racecar toy they got for their birthday, some girls over there were talking about playing with dolls, a teacher was talking about a summer vacation they enjoyed, blah blah blah legit nothing of sustenance whatsoever. Sheesh, waste of time listening in. What a strange place this is, clearly designed to foster academic development, yet no one seems to have the mindset for it!

"There we are!"

Lisa snapped back into reality as Rita pointed at a door up ahead, decorated with images of rainbows, smiles, and apples. On top of the door, the name "Ms. Shrinivas" was pasted on there with large letters.

"Are you excited?" Rita asked, nudging Lisa.

"I can barely contain it," she responded sarcastically.

Her mother opened the door, and Lisa was greeted with a whole new set of sensory experiences. Most noticeably, there were children in there, as was expected of an elementary school environment. These kids however were concentrated into the youngest demographic, the same demographic Lisa herself was a part of. They were, in essence, toddlers.

The difference? Why, the person she saw in front of her made it painfully clear. A boy just to the left of the door entrance held a glue stick, committing acts that were sadly appropriate for his age. He twisted the adhesive part out all the way, took bites out of them and chewed, while licking the purple stickiness off of his lips and giggling maniacally.

Lisa turned her head down and away, cringing until her face almost hurt. At least they were non-toxic, she was dubious as to whether she'd have remorse if he harmed himself consuming products that aren't meant to be.

"Hello there!"

A woman spoke to them just in Lisa's peripheral vision. She turned up to see her wearing a red skirt, light green sweater, black slip on shoes, and a smile directed at the duo.

"Hi!" Rita waved back. "Ms. Shrinivas, right?"

"Yep!" she answered.

"Wanna say hi?" Rita asked, nudging her daughter.

She declined the offer, glancing up at the woman before her without returning a word.

"Excited for school today?" Ms. Shrinivas asked.

Still without a response, Lisa continued staring.

"Looks like she's a little shy." Ms. Shrinivas crouched down to her level, where Lisa's eyes followed her until they were directly face to face with each other.

"Hey, it's okay to be a little nervous," she said. "Everyone's a little nervous on their first day of school."

Lisa quickly dropped her gaze and returned to her neutral demeanor. "P'shaww, I see no reason to express any form of anxiety over this matter."

Ms. Shrinivas's smile shrunk slightly as she glanced up at Rita. "Well, that's good…"

'I'll take this opportunity to reiterate my stance on public schooling." She adjusted her glasses. "I find myself in the privileged position of having ascended beyond learning the basics. It would be a waste of talent for me to relearn how to read, write, or count objects. Ergo, I believe my abilities would be appropriately suited for work beyond the core curriculum, in an environment where I am able to exercise my superior academic prowess." She ended her statement with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Ms. Shrinivas's jaws dropped upon hearing Lisa rattle her statement off in front of her. Her hands appeared to be trembling as she pointed it at the child prodigy in front of her.

"Did she just- did she just say what I think she said?" she stammered.

"Here uh, maybe we should step aside for a bit, there's something I need to talk to you about," Rita said, nudging her daughter away.

"Yeah, why don't you go meet some of the kids?" Ms. Shrinivas added.

Lisa glanced back at the kid up ahead, who was now chewing on the empty glue stick container. She could just make out the glistening saliva dripping on the sides, covering his hands with absolute slobber.

"At the least, I'd make more of an effort to meet my colleagues if they put half as much into treating communal properties with a semblance of respect." She pointed a finger at the kid in front of her.

A slight gasp escaped Ms. Shrinivas as she rushed over to the kid. "No Grant, don't eat the glue sticks!"

"Good riddance," Lisa muttered.

She surveyed the rest of the classroom, taking in more of what was around her. There were more toddlers scattered across the room, many of which were exhibiting age-appropriate behavior as well. Some squealed, some scribbled onto construction paper with markers and crayons, and there were various toys strewn across the rug that they played with. Aside from the insufferable behavior depicted by the children, there was a large rug in the corner with an easel and a chair situated near it, there were low round tables scattered across the room, and there were racks and cubbies for kids to place their belongings.

A chaotic disorderly bunch, at least on the surface. It was possible the kid from before was an anomaly in behavior. After all, she was here on the promise of garnering new learning experiences not given through academic study. Perhaps it would do her some good to attempt interacting with a student.

So, she walked through the classroom, finding herself in the middle surrounded by the round tables. Off the corner of her eye, she spotted a table which appeared to be relatively empty. It was occupied with just a girl, who appeared to be scribbling on a sheet of paper with a crayon. Lisa approached the girl, pulling out a chair and sitting next to her.

"Greetings, fellow colleague!" Lisa started.

"Hi!" she said back.

"I suppose I should introduce myself. Lisa Loud." She extended her hand out to the girl in front of her, whom accepted it into her hand.

"I'm Ruth!" she said.

Lisa's arm lay limply gripping Ruth's hand. It was noticeably sticky, almost comparable to the adhesive area of a post-it note. No telling what kind of unsanitary residue lay there. What more, the girl didn't shake her hand back, forcing Lisa to do all the hard work as she raised and lowered her forearm. So, she finally broke the grip and crossed her arms. Some manners huh. Or should she say, the lack of it.

She glanced down at the table, where Ruth was still vigorously scribbling on her sheet with a red crayon. Nothing on the sheet was discernable as a shape or pattern or any recognizable object. Merely a scribble, the crayon scrawling streaks back and forth, leaving a waxy residue and making an obnoxiously repetitive noise.

"I see you are coloring… something…" Lisa commented.

"Yeah!" Ruth chirped.

"What's the point in any of this?" Lisa asked.

"It's fun!"

Really? Here she was, hoping for a glimmer of a chance at the girl before her possibly proving herself, showing a deeper underlying meaning, or any discernable potential at all. Yet, out of all the possible reasons for such an arbitrarily inconclusive endeavor, the one she chose was just because  _it's fun!?_  What a monumental disappointment!

"Wanna draw with me?" Ruth asked.

Now this was certainly something. The concept of 'fun' was an elusive one. Purely subjective and not definitive. A mere positive feeling felt on an individual basis, with little discernable reason or rhyme. What she saw earlier were simply visual observations, and a hypothesis made merely based on how things looked. The next step in the scientific process was to experiment, and here she was being presented with an easy opportunity. Maybe she could experience this 'fun' firsthand.

"I suppose drawing couldn't hurt," Lisa said with a shrug.

"Yay!" Ruth cheered. She grabbed a sheet of paper and a handful of crayons off to the side and passed them over to Lisa.

"There was no need, I'm perfectly capable of assembling my own tools," Lisa said.

By this point, the crayon Ruth was using was half gone, courtesy of her recklessness. She tossed it back into the pile, grabbed another color, and started scribbling on the paper again.

Was that really what she was supposed to do? Just, pick a color and scribble?

Lisa reached into the pile for a color as well, taking out a green crayon. She held it in her hand, noting the paper texture that contrasted from her usual pencils and pens. The color was admittedly a nice one, seeing as it represented the color of the same turtleneck sweatshirt she wore all the time. Practically speaking however, the color shouldn't affect the content that said utensil produced.

She put the tip onto the sheet of paper and carefully drew a line across from one corner onto the other. A simple pattern, yet largely meaningless. The wax dragging along the compressed wood pulp produced a certain type of friction, quite familiar to the touch, yet strangely alien at the same time.

Wholly unsatisfying. Using a cumbersome utensil, with a color gimmick merely for show nonetheless. She made another arbitrary stroke on the sheet, then a few more in succession, creating a few connected lines and curves, each of them just as pointless and ungratifying as the last.

Meanwhile, Ruth sat next to her, having powered through 3 crayons at this point and now vigorously defiling the canvas with a 4th. The sheet in front of her was a distorted mess of colors, the red, orange, and blue merging together into an indescribable abomination. The sheet was now coated with wax, save for a few spots missed on the edges.

Lisa gripped the crayon with her fist now, then started scribbling all over in a fashion mimicking how Ruth was doing it. The crayon tip disappeared quickly and her hand muscles started to ache as the lactic acid built up within. Eventually, the pain forced her to drop the crayon, and she glared at the sheet in front of her, a collection of marks just as incomprehensible as the sheet next to it.

She had learned nothing. A complete waste of time.

"I don't understand, how is this any fun?" Lisa asked.

"It is!" Ruth cheerfully replied.

"But this doesn't mean anything!"

Ruth ignored her and continued along with her activity. Not only was this girl still engaging in this meaningless endeavor, she also didn't seem to discern a purpose from it, let alone understand it!

"Look, I have to be honest here," Lisa said while facepalming. "This activity is frankly asinine and I believe it would benefit you long-term if you set these foolish activities aside and focused more on studying."

Ruth turned her head up towards Lisa. "Huh?"

"Never mind," Lisa sighed.

Gripping her saddles tightly, she eyed a counter at the corner of the room and walked over there, avoiding eye contact with any of the other children in the room. Best she avoided any further interaction, there was simply no telling what other foolish activities she would be subject to.

At the counter, she pulled up a stool and climbed on top. There, she started unloading as she dug her hands in her backpack and started pulling out an assortment of books, papers, and writing utensils. Someone of Ruth's caliber was not unusual; in fact, it seemed to be the norm. These children were, disappointingly, exactly as they appeared on the surface. At the least, Lisa could do herself a service and maintain her proper scholarly appearance.

"Okay kids, class is starting!" Ms. Shrinivas announced. "We're all gonna sit on the rug so we can get to know each other!"

Yeah, sure. They can go on ahead with that. Lisa wasn't gonna associate with those  _degenerates_.

"Remember to clean up after yourself! Put the toys back where you found them, put the markers and crayons in the bins, and put all the scrap paper in the trash can!"

Not her mess, not her problem. Lisa took a sheet of paper and opened a book as the rest of the children around her obeyed their new teacher. She soon found herself absorbed within the pages, flipping through rapidly and scribbling down notes within.

"Lisa? Why don't you come sit down with us as well?" Ms. Shrinivas called out to her.

"That won't be necessary, I'm perfectly capable of engaging in my personal studies of academic rigor. There's nothing new you can teach me," Lisa said while continuing to study.

"Don't you wanna know who your classmates are?"

"Afraid not, I've given my stance on this earlier." She turned her body on the stool to face her teacher. "I believe it best based on my circumstances if I distanced myself from these uncouth disorderly children."

"Don't you think you're being a little unfair by judging these kids early?"

In response, Lisa pointed a finger at a girl on the rug, who was uncapping a glue stick and licking at the purple adhesive. Ms. Shrinivas stood up to approach the girl, swiped the glue stick from her and gave her a warning.

"Look, I know you're having issues with being here, but you're gonna have to get used to it," she said shaking her head. "Here, you listen to the teacher and work with your classmates."

Lisa sighed, but nonetheless hopped off the stool, grabbing her book with her.

"Without your book please."

She tossed her book back at the desk and rolled her eyes before approaching the rug and finally sitting down with the rest of the group.

Ms. Shrinivas nodded before turning to face the rest of the class. "Good morning kids!" she greeted them. "Before we talk about what we're all doing here, I think it'd be fun to introduce ourselves and meet all your new friends! We're gonna go around in a circle taking turns. When it's your turn, say your name, and maybe something you like to do!"

Lisa slumped her back and rested her head on her hand. Some friends huh.

"I'll start this off." She repositioned herself on the rug. "My name is Ms. Shrinivas, but you can call me Ms. S. I like cooking, listening to music, and teaching wonderful young children like you!"

Why did they have to know this? How did knowing her interests or hobbies help them learn anything?

"I'm Jenny. I like watching TV!"

"Interesting! And what do you like to watch?" Ms. Shrinivas asked.

"Share bears!"

Lisa groaned.

* * *

"Okay, let's read this all together now!" Ms. Shrinivas pointed at the easel. "The…"

The class repeated in unison. "The…"

"Fat…"

"Fat…"

"Cat…"

"Cat…"

Lisa picked at the rug on the floor, pulling the individual pieces off and identifying the various debris that lay within the cracks. At this rate, she was willing to do anything aside from the preliminary reading comprehension up on the board.

"Very good!" Ms. Shrinivas complimented the class. "Take your time and sound out the words you don't know! Let's try another one!"

Or they could just  _know_  how to pronounce a word?

Ms. Shrinivas pointed at the easel. "We know this word already! The…"

Yes, kids should definitely know the most common word in the English language.

"The…"

"Now sound this word out!" Ms. Shrinivas said. "M, A, N. Man. Say it with me!"

"Man…"

Lisa's hand started clawing the rug and her teeth were clenched together. She knew how to read already! She was just reading a book just before class started!

"This next word is tricky," Ms. Shrinivas warned. "It's a word you know and use all the time! Let's try spelling this word-."

"W I T H, with," Lisa interrupted.

Ms. Shrinivas squinted at her. "Thanks Lisa, maybe someone else can go next time."

Yeah, this lesson was for  _them_  after all. Surrounded by a bunch of nincompoops. Such wasted potential! Why did  _she_  have to associate with  _them_!? She was better than that!

"Oh, looks like a word we've seen before!" Ms. Shrinivas said. "Anyone wanna remind me what it says?"

"THE MAN WITH THE PLAN! THE MAN WITH THE PLAN!" Lisa suddenly burst out.

The rest of the class simultaneously turned their heads as Lisa's face flashed a bright red with her sudden outburst. The color quickly dissipated however as her face relaxed in the view of approximately 30 children all staring her down. There she awkwardly squirmed where she sat, glancing at each and everyone of their faces, some curious and some with fear in their eyes.

"Lisa, that wasn't very nice. Some people are trying to learn." Ms. Shrinivas scolded her.

"I shouldn't have to suffer through this," Lisa muttered to herself.

BRRRRRRRRING!

"Okay kids, break time! Go ahead and draw or play with your toys!" she announced.

The children on the rug cheered as they all went their separate ways. Some ran to the tables and grabbed some papers and crayons. Others ran to their cubbies to grab their favorite toys. No doubt they were excited, being given the opportunity to be free, to do whatever their heart desired. Lisa joined them in the excitement, albeit for a different reason. Instead of the tables and cubbies, she prepared to make a dash for the counter, where her beloved books research lay.

"Uh-uh, not you. We need to talk."

A groan escaped the child prodigy as she nonetheless obliged, slumping herself back on the rug.

"I didn't like your behavior in the lesson today Lisa," Ms. Shrinivas started.

"Frankly, I can reciprocate a similar distaste for the fact that I was being forced to partake in said lesson as well," she responded.

"Look, I don't know how to help you. I've never had a kid like you before. We can figure something out eventually, but for now I really need you to just follow along and do as I say."

"What does that accomplish?" Lisa asked. "I was roped into this by my parents, they knew of my many accomplishments and yet they elected to put me through this psychological torture anyway!"

"You've accomplished a lot, but your behavior still could use some work. You don't seem to be very considerate of others," Ms. Shrinivas pointed out.

"There's nothing to consider! They're imbeciles!" Lisa stomped on the ground to emphasize her point.

"That doesn't mean you should go around treating them like they're stupid."

"They are! I don't deserve to be here!"

Ms. Shrinivas facepalmed at that. "Okay, we're clearly not getting anywhere with this conversation. I'm gonna talk with your mom later, and we'll figure something out."

Lisa suddenly stopped and glanced up at her teacher with hopeful eyes. "Does that entail the possibility of me getting discharged from here?" she asked.

"Yes," Ms. Shrinivas responded flatly.

For a few seconds, Lisa squealed and waved her arms in front of her face, before quickly regaining her composure. "Excellent. I see you've finally applied what I call 'common sense'." A slight grin crept on her face with that.

"Look, just, go and do your science stuff for the rest of the day, as long as you don't bother anyone else."

With that, Ms. Shrinivas waved her away. Lisa wasted no time in dashing back to her little work station at the counter, walking past the incoherent babble of children drawing and playing with their toys. There was no doubt about it now: those kids were a waste of time. While they went about playing pretend with their stuffed animals and drawing nonexistent concepts,  _she_  would study something that actually mattered. Their whimsy was purely imagination, how the teachers could possibly sanction this non-academic behavior was completely beyond her.

She climbed on the stool, grabbed a sheet of paper and pencil, then opened her book to the page where she last left off. Ahh, the etymology of chemistry.  _This_  was a subject more suited to her abilities. Granted, the noise around her was somewhat of a nuisance, but if this was the only time she'd have to work under such circumstances to make a point, then she'd gladly take it. Soon, her parents would learn the error of their ways, and things would go back to the way they should be.

So, amidst the commotion, Lisa sat at the counter, continuing to study. Finally, she got to do actual learning in school.


	3. Chapter 3

Lisa currently lay on the floor with furrowed eyebrows as she concentrated on her next big project. She was surrounded by an assortment of books and crumpled up pieces of paper, whilst working on a whiteboard in front of her filled with all sorts of calculations, diagrams, and ideas. Here, she wasn't bound to ridiculous writing utensils like crayons, or construction papers with unnecessary aesthetic hues. The practicality of the whiteboard and dry-erase marker were unmatched by comparison.

With the whiteboard completely covered, Lisa stood up and lifted it onto her desk, peeking a glance at the clock on the wall. 9:25 am. Just enough time to open her laptop, establish a video conference with her peers at the science institution, prepare to give her presentation on time travel, and have her genius known to the world out there.

So, she prepared to do exactly that. She disposed of the papers surrounding her, returned the books to the bookshelves, then finally climbed back on the stool. With the Cam Chat application open, all she had to do was wait.

 _This_  was the type of work suited for her abilities. In Kindergarten, she was bound with shackles, stuck merely perceiving the world through numbers and letters. Here, she broke free from them, tearing at the realms of possibility, achieving what was previously thought impossible.

Sure enough, the screen lit up with an incoming call from the scientific institution. Lisa clicked to answer, and the screen showed a group of 3 in white lab coats, each of them holding a clipboard.

"Greetings, fellow colleagues! I have been anticipating this call," Lisa said.

"Hello!" a redhead woman in the middle wearing glasses greeted back. "I trust you have the presentation prepared."

"That I do, Dr. Jelson," Lisa replied. "It's an incredible honor to be here before you today." She put her head on her chest and bowed slightly.

"The honor is mine, Dr. Loud." The scientists on the screen bowed slightly as well.

"I don't mean any disrespect, but considering my current living arrangements, I believe it best if we ceased the small talk and get on with the subject matter," Lisa said.

"Oh, by all means!"

With that, Lisa held up the whiteboard with her right and shone a laser pointer at it with her left.

"It was Einstein who proposed the idea of time travel via wormholes, but now I, Lisa Loud, have come very close to actually creating one. All I need to figure out his how to harness the necessary energy to- YAH!"

Lisa suddenly gasped and dropped her board as she caught a glimpse of Lucy standing behind her.

"I need you to take my pulse," she said. "I'm working on a breathing technique that lowers my heart rate to the point of barely being alive."

Alright, can't take too long. Lucy rolled up her sleeve, and Lisa measured her pulse.

"Nope, still quite robust," she answered.

Lucy hung her head down as she walked out of the room. "Dang it, I hate robust."

An odd experiment on her part, but perhaps it wasn't for naught. Maybe there was a certain respect to proving something was possible just for the sake of it. After all, when it came down to it, that's what science was.

With that, she swiveled herself back towards the laptop. "Pardon the interruption, as I was saying-"

"Hey Lis! We need your help."

Lincoln and Lana suddenly appeared in the room, knocking the whiteboard out of Lisa's hand again.

"We found this cupcake behind the radiator. It's got a little mold on it, but can we still eat it?"

Aside from the mold they mentioned, Lisax spotted fungal growth, specks of dust, an old band-aid stuck on the top, an indeterminate ooze dripping off the edges, and maggots squirming around from the surrounding flies that lay them. One thing was for sure, all signs pointed towards definitely  _not_  eating it.

"Well, only if you want to ingest gangrenous ergotism, alimentary toxic aleukia, or stachybotrys chartarum," she responded.

Just as she did, an obnoxiously loud munching sound was heard from right in front of her. She glanced down to see Lana taking a bite out of the treat and chewing, lips green with moldy crumbs and forming a triumphant grin.

"You had me at 'gangrenous,'" she said.

Reverse psychology, deliberate defiance of what was being told. Incredible how far her sister would take this oppositional defiance of hers, to the point where it became a legitimate threat to her health. How she could have a complete lack of regard for her own well-being just to maintain that persona was completely beyond her.

Lincoln and Lana finally left the room, and Lisa once again turned to face the camera. "Apologies once again. Now, to contin-"

The sound of a power chord struck, knocking the board out of Lisa's hands for a third time. She didn't even have to turn to see who  _that_  was.

"Yo brain box, I'm playing a gig at Sunset Canyon tonight, and I need to make sure the oldies can hear me, can you measure my decibel level?"

"Not right now-"

Before she could finish, Luna struck a chord, and the sound waves propelled Lisa backwards, causing her to crash into the laptop. The screen cracked, books flew off the desk, and beakers were shattered, spilling the highly questionable contents within.

"I think you should be fine, which is more than I can say for my beaker collection," she said.

Luna left the room, and Lisa turned towards the laptop, screen cracked, but thankfully still functional. Interesting how that played out, Luna didn't even wait for the results! She seemed perfectly content with a generic non-answer, just 'you're fine'. There was clearly no interest in the decibel level,  _that_  was a decoy. How sad, she still craved attention despite the amount she'd already get.

"I'm so sorry, it's not easy being a research scientist in a household populated by uncouth, disorderly siblings." She glanced away from the screen. "I look forward to the day when I'll have somewhere quiet to work."

"Well, why not today?"

Lisa raised an eyebrow at that.

"You're welcome to come spend this afternoon here at the institute," Dr. J said. "We have top notch facilities where you can continue your research, free of distractions."

A tempting offer with many possibilities. There was almost always something getting in the way of her research. She had all kinds of personal obligations outside of the scientific research, whether it be paying family bills, attending public education, tutoring, etc. Time consuming and mundane. Even when she had time to herself, there was only so much she could realistically do at home. Stuck to the confines of her room and living with a family, she was limited with the number and types of materials she had available to herself. Need she bring up the distractions again?

"Really? That sounds phenomenal!" She smiled and raised her arms. "I'd say I have butterflies but we both know that is just the reduction of blood flow to my stomach."

"Excellent!"

"How soon can I come?"

* * *

"Lisa, so glad you could join us for the day. Let me give you the tour, over there is our biosphere, through that door is our nuclear fission facility, and those are the restrooms."

Dr. J led the touring group, which consisted of the scientists that were in the video chat earlier. Trailing behind Dr. J, Lisa was a noticeable outlier in the group, considerably shorter and younger than the adults surrounding her. She turned her heads up and all around, taking in the majestic architecture of the institute and the various sections within, with more catching her eye every time.

"So when does the bathroom line typically form?" she asked. "I'd like to arrive early so I don't waste valuable research time."

"There's never a line," Dr. J replied.

Lisa gasped at that. "Shut the anterior entryway!"

Soon, Dr. J stopped at one of the many entrances and waved the other scientists away. As they left, she opened the double door, revealing the interior in all of its glory.

"In here is the crown jewel of the institute, our research laboratory," she said. "It's at your disposal, enjoy the quiet afternoon."

The door shut behind Lisa at that, leaving her to marvel at the sight.

With dropped jaws and widened eyes, Lisa gawked at the treasure trove of tools and materials that lay within. Just merely within her immediate field of vision were skinner boxes, radar scanners, lightning coils, gloveboxes, and electron microscopes. In the distance, there was a passageway to another section of the research room, where there were undoubtedly more for her to explore.

Walking through the passageway at the other end, she was greeted with a room several times larger than the one before. There were monkeys contained in cages, a space telescope taking up the space of a third of the room, tall racks stacked with test tubes towering several feet high, and bookshelves stuffed tightly with enough material to last a lifetime.

One thing was for sure: whatever you needed to know, whatever tools you needed to find something, the resources to attain such means were all in this room. This truly was the perfect scientific institution.

"Erlameyer flasks, two-thousand milliliter beakers…" She put her hands up to her cheeks. "This place is every 4-year-old's dream!"

"Esteemed colleagues, I believe I have cracked it," Lisa said while writing on the blackboard. "By combining super magnets, nuclear fission, and banana peels, one can produce the necessary energy to open a wormhole large enough for a human being to pass through."

With that, she turned to face the group of scientists watching her, a smirk plastered on her face.

"Boom. Time travel."

"Brilliant!" Dr. J and her colleagues stood up and clapped. "An epic achievement!"

Lisa grinned at that. "Thank you, Dr. Jelson. I couldn't have done it without the opportunity to work in such an optimal environment."

An optimal environment it was indeed. No more did she have to be bothered by her siblings' incessant nagging over mundane tasks, nor did she have to be surrounded by her classmates that acted their age at school. Here, she comfortably slotted in with like-minded peers that thought and acted on her own level.

"I also had a marvelous time in the bathroom. In fact, I think I'll visit it on the way out." She started making her making her way towards the exit.

"Wait! You don't have to go," Dr. J stopped her. "Look at all you've accomplished in half a day. Imagine if you were here full time!"

Lisa gasped at that. It took everything in her to stifle what would have otherwise been a squeal of excitement. She had accomplished and studied much in her life, but a life spent pursuing her passions was a dream come true.

"I'm honored!" she put her hand on her chest at that. "I'd say I have a lump in my throat, but we both know it's merely the tightening of my esophageal stricture."

"Excellent! I expect much more going forward," Dr. J said.

With that, the adults left the room, and Lisa followed along. In just a day's worth of work in this environment, she now had a proof of concept for turning a common trope of science fiction into a science fact. If this was how she could spend her entire day, then that was an opportunity she'd gladly undertake.

Lisa walked through the exit and through the hallway, eventually turning left to the entrance for the research lab. Perhaps if she presented herself well enough, then she could convince her parents to let her stay. She climbed up the stool on the desk, opened the laptop and loaded the cam chat application. Soon, a soft deep beeping noise was heard from the device as she started the call and waited, elbow on the desk and head resting on her hand.

Eventually, the loading screen was replaced with a view of Rita and Lynn Sr. sitting on the couch. Lisa quickly reoriented herself as she straightened her back and adjusted her glasses.

"Greetings, paternal units!"

"Hey! How are things going over there?" Lynn Sr. asked.

Lisa beamed at that. "Oh, it's wonderful! The best scientific institution I've ever set foot in!"

"That's great honey!" Rita said. "Have you done anything fun in there?"

"If by that, you mean to ask if I've achieved anything of note, then that's a statement I'll wholeheartedly confirm. Just now, I got out of presenting a proof of concept on time travel."

"That's amazing! This calls for a Lynnsagna to celebrate!" Lynn Sr. said with a laugh.

Lisa glanced away from the screen. "Yeah, about that…"

"What's wrong? I thought you liked my food!" he said.

"Oh, nothing of that sort!" Lisa corrected him. "Sounds appetizing, though I'm less certain about whether I'll be present to eat it."

"What do you mean?" Rita asked.

Lisa took a deep breath. "In lieu of my recent presentation on time travel, my colleagues at the institution have formally offered to let me stay there full-time to allow further pursuit of our goals."

Lynn Sr. gasped at that. "You wanna stay there? Look, I don't understand, honey, what's wrong with working from home?"

Almost as if on cue, the rest of the Loud siblings came into view of the webcam. Lana chased Lola holding a rat in her hand, Lynn hopped on a pogo stick behind the couch, Luna banged on band drums, and Luan chased Leni with money on a fishing pole. A downcast expression manifested themselves on the parents' faces as they too noticed the background noise.

"It has its distractions," Lisa pointed out.

"Okay, true, but that doesn't mean you have to leave your family and move to some institute," Rita said.

"That's not all," Lisa continued. "This lab offers for many opportunities that I would otherwise normally be barred from. It's come to attention that the conditions at home are frankly suboptimal."

The parents glanced at each other before turning back to the camera.

"There's only so much I can achieve given the spatial confines of this my room, the limited resources available, and the many obligations I'm subject to as a member of the family. Here, there are no such limitations."

"Wait, you're implying that-"

"My lab is cozy and familiar, yes, but it is a residential area first and foremost, leaving much to be desired. The grants I receive are very generous, but there's only so much equipment I can store in here, and some items are exceedingly difficult to obtain for residential housing."

"Well, we don't-"

"In just an afternoon at the institute, I was able to complete a proof of concept for a temporal aperture device! We can travel through time!" Lisa's eyes glowed with pride. "Do you know what this means!?

Rita opened her mouth to speak again, but then closed it, clasped her hands together, and rested them on her lap.

"Think about it! With this trope of science fiction turned into science fact, we can verify historical events! Gain insight on alternate dimension theories! Solve logical paradoxes! We can have closure on the most pressing questions of mankind!"

The parents stole a glance at each other again in the face of Lisa's passionate ranting and hand gestures.

"That's not all. I can assure you," Lisa said, raising a finger. "Time travel is just the beginning. If I'm able to testify for the possibility of time travel, it should follow that I can achieve far more. What other common science fiction tropes could be realized? Teleportation? Invisibility? Extraterrestrial colonization?"

The corner of Rita's lips curved up ever so slightly.

"We've all created a purpose for ourselves in this otherwise meaningless life. Given my status as an individual with extraordinary intelligence, it should follow that I offer my skills in ways many others can't, and it would be a shame if I were to throw this potential away. Ergo, I strongly implore you to consider allowing me to take on the opportunity to work at the institute full-time. This is a pursuit not just my dreams, but all of our collective dreams to understand this life as we know it."

A moment of silence passed between the people in the call. There she had it. An irrefutable logical argument laid out for them. If they truly stood for what was sound and reasonable, if they were truly proud of their daughter and their achievements, then it should follow they'd grant her permission. Any second now, they'd give their word.

"Well, sweetie, that was a very inspiring speech," Rita said.

Lisa's eyes lit up with that, and a grin formed on her face. "Much appreciated!"

"You're clearly really smart, and have a lot to say."

"Thank you." She bowed down slightly this time.

Rita shook her head. "I'm really not sure about keeping you there full-time."

"What!?" Lisa stood on the stool and slammed her hands down on the table.

"Well, I don't see why there can't be a balance. You'd be devoting your entire life to science if you stayed there."

"Yes, that is the idea," Lisa said with crossed arms.

"But what about everything else? Your family, going to school-"

"Pish posh! How can you still consider those relevant factors? Might I remind you, I've uncovered how to  _travel through time_?"

"And that's amazing, it really is! But does that  _really_  matter back home?"

"I-uh," Lisa fumbled for a bit. "You're completely missing the point mother. This isn't about home, it's about the bigger picture. Plus, I won't be there anyway so that's not important."

"That's what worries me!" Rita put her arms out in front of her. "You just don't seem to care about what you're leaving behind! You've never been away from home, and you're 4!"

Lisa resisted the urge to snap back at that remark as she clenched her teeth and fists together. She  _hated_  when the 'age card' was pulled on her. Yes, her body was physiologically only 4-years-old, yet all the reasoning pointed against that ever being a valid argument. Her parents sure liked to remind her that they're proud of her, that all her accomplishments were incredible, yet they never seemed to treat her with a similar amount of respect.

Alas, the child prodigy soon relaxed and adjusted her glasses. "All I'm saying is that research is my life, and this is a huge opportunity," she said.

"What do you think Lynn?"

He glanced up to meet Rita's eyes, then back at the camera. "Well, if she wants to give this a shot…"

"What? You can't seriously-"

"No, think about it!" he interrupted. "We encourage our kids to find themselves and follow their passions, why should she be any different?"

Lisa grinned at that. At least someone was on her side!

"We barely know where she's staying or who she's staying with!" Rita countered.

"She works with all kinds of people! They're professionals, and we're talking about the smartest 4-year-old in Royal Woods, I'm sure she'll be fine!" he said.

Lisa tapped her fingers on the desk as she saw her mother glance downwards towards the floor.

"Look, how about this?" he continued. "We'll let Lisa stay over the weekend, and see how things play out!"

Rita took a deep breath as she turned towards her daughter, who returned the gaze with pleading eyes.

"Well, sweetie, you've always been… independent. I guess we can give it a try."

"Yes!"

Lisa cheered and raised both arms, finishing with a fist pump in the air. For once, her family understood. They too saw and acknowledged a greater potential for her. They were finally making the right decision, allowing her to realize it without unnecessary obstructions. Finally, there was credibility to them being proud of her!

"Believe me when I say I won't disappoint," Lisa reassured them. "Let this be an opportunity to go down in history, making the grandest of discoveries and constructing figments of humanity's wildest imaginations!" She turned her head upwards and put an arm up in the air as she started cackling maniacally.

In the midst of all this, Lynn Sr.'s eyes started welling up with tears as he stared into the camera, and Rita put a hand on her husband's shoulder as he sniffled a few times.

Hearing the sobbing noises, Lisa turned her head towards the video again, watching Lynn Sr's blubbering turn into an outright bawl caught into his hands. With that, her excitement slowly dissipated, a blank expression replacing it as she watched her father's mental breakdown. She had anticipated some amount of sentimentalism, but crying did seem a bit much.

"Now, now, paterfamilias, what you're experiencing is merely the release of an endorphin called leucine enkephalin, which helps to improve mood, and rid the body of toxins. You'll be over it shortly."

Lynn Sr. continued to cry and Rita continued to console him. Meanwhile, Lisa maintained her neutral expression, while continuing to watch with intent. Something about the way he was crying just wasn't sitting well with herself.

"Some people take longer than others," she said glancing away.

With that, she closed the laptop and ended the call. Her stoic expression quickly dropped from her face, as it was quickly replaced with a frown and a sadness in her eyes. She couldn't quite put her finger on why, but the way Lynn Sr. looked at her, the way he reacted… what was that? It… it didn't feel good to see. His feelings shouldn't matter, yet somehow…

Lisa shook her head and pushed the laptop aside, pulling a nearby book up close to her. That wasn't important. Despite their emotional front, they had given the word. They had clearly made a judgment for the better, and were willing to put their feelings aside for a better future; not just for herself, but for science and for mankind. Think of all the incredible things that could be accomplished when people thought rationally! Focus on that, not on Lynn Sr, or his crying, or her mother next to him, that comforting embrace she was giving him, all the siblings that she'd leave behind…

Right! Yeah, studying, that was the focus. The time machine wasn't gonna build itself!

* * *

Lisa walked through the hallway towards the conference room, flipping through the papers on her clipboard while holding a presentation board under her left arm. She had been summoned to join the conversation with the agents at the National Science Foundation to fund the time machine, and it was imperative that she remembered all the necessary facts. There was always an opportunity to study in between downtimes.

So, she quickly found her way into the conference room, where a video chat with some representatives at the NSF was already in progress. Dr. J and her group collectively turned their heads in the wake of the child prodigy having entered the scene.

"Dr. Loud! Good of you to come!" she greeted.

"Good to be here as well," Lisa responded while joining the group. "I'm deeply honored to be given the opportunity to see my passion project through to its completion."

"We'd be interested to hear what you have to say," a man said on the video chat.

"That, I will not disappoint," Lisa said. She pushed her clipboard against one of the scientists, who reluctantly accepted it into his hand.

"As you may have heard by now, I have successfully uncovered the means to rip open a wormhole large enough for a human being to pass through, which would in essence, enable a being to travel through time." She held up her presentation board with that. "Now, to achieve this-"

"I'll have to stop you there," Dr. Eps interrupted. "Time travel is a fascinating concept, yes, but we're not interested in the methodology just yet. You do understand that we don't just willy nilly fund anything that sounds remotely interesting, we have to have a good reason. Tell us, how would we benefit from this project?

"An important question Dr. Eps, I'm sure the answer will be one we can all identify with." Lisa cleared her throat as she passed her board to one of her colleagues, then held her hands behind her back.

"Now, we must ask ourselves why we may undergo any kind of scientific endeavor. Some provide basic human necessities, akin to finding alternative fuel sources. Some are to increase standards as a society, such as the quest to consolidate larger quantities of data and memory into smaller devices. In many cases, we research simply to  _know._ "

"Oh?" Dr. Eps raised an eyebrow.

"Time travel is a concept often represented in many fictional works. While they are often blatantly false in the execution, the fact that it's a recurring trope is indicative of one thing: It's a concept we all constantly dream of. It's imaginable, and we all presumably share this desire to make it a reality."

"That's a fair point Dr. Loud," he said. "So why should we fund it?"

"It may not be immediately obvious why such a grandiose project should be funded," Lisa said adjusting her glasses. "A large portion of human history as we know it is founded upon simply asking questions. We've asked ourselves if we could fly, and the Wright brothers cracked it, leading to a full-blown aviation industry. We've asked ourselves if we could travel through space, which led to satellites and the prospect of interstellar colonization. I implore you to consider, what next? What could we achieve with the prospect of travelling through time?"

"Well, why don't you enlighten us?" he asked.

"Gladly. We can… uh…"

Lisa fumbled to find the right words. Truth be told, she hadn't thought that far. Why did she have to think that far? Weren't they excited? They were talking about  _time travel_  for crying out loud!

"We can figure that out later," she responded. "It is my impression that proving time travel is possible should be reason enough."

"Oh, but it isn't," Dr. Eps said. "We can prove all kinds of crazy ideas, but there's only so much we can realistically set out to do before it becomes impractical to research simply for the sake of knowing."

"That's complete nonsense," she growled.

"Every project we fund is based on realistic grounds, one that won't cost an exorbitant amount of money, and will yield definitive results," he continued.

"It is realistic!" she pointed a finger at him and exclaimed. "I've given all the proofs required, what more do you need?"

Dr. Eps pinched the bridge of his nose, while the agents behind him all exchanged looks at each other. "The premise behind this project is a bold one, but also incredibly shortsighted. We couldn't possibly shell out a large fraction of our reserves to make this vision a reality."

"Shortsighted?! What-"

"You were able to clearly state the purpose behind the examples you made," he interrupted. "Purposes that no doubt were in mind from the beginning, and were humanly attainable. With time travel, the purpose is murkier. We're left completely uncertain as to what paradoxes or interdimensional shenanigans may occur upon hopping into some wormhole to who knows where, and  _simply trying it_  doesn't seem advisable."

Lisa furrowed her eyebrows, grit her teeth, and clenched her fists together, doing everything in her power to keep herself from outright screaming at the man before her. His words were the closest one could get to sacrilege, only science wasn't a religion. He treated this ordeal as a business transaction, selectively funding what they considered worthy, hampering discovery in its purest form, and expecting a return on investment as if that was the main thing that mattered. That wasn't a man of science, that was a fraud!

Dr. J stood up from her seat in lieu of Lisa's increasing anger, who was now violently scratching her hair and pacing in circles. She walked over to where Lisa stood and faced Dr. Eps in the video with a sheepish grin.

"I'll take over from here," she said, pushing her away.

"Why!? They're misguided-"

"Lisa, go back to the research laboratory  _now_."

The stern undertone and the cold stare Dr. J gave her said it all, cooling some of the heat building up within the child prodigy, as it was quickly replaced with an embarrassment to the highest degree. Lisa turned to face the video that showed the agents at the NSF, then back towards the scientists at the institution, her eyes now relaxing and filling with worry. She had made a complete fool out of herself in front of everyone, no doubt having lost all her credibility and damaging her reputation.

So, she took the only reasonable course of action and ran out the conference room, head down and hidden from view. Her emotions had gotten the best of her yet again, serving as a testament that they were a weakness of the human race. Despite her many efforts, they could never truly be tamed, and as a result, she was deprived of a monumental scientific achievement. No doubt, there would be several more failures to come.

She slammed the entrance to the research laboratory open and stood for a few seconds, gazing at the magnificence before her once more. All this equipment, the extensive collection of books in libraries, what was any of it good for if she couldn't apply what she had learned? Come up with all the ideas she will, if she couldn't make anything of them, what was the point?

Taking her glasses off and rubbing her eyes, she paced back to her work area and crawled onto the stool, where her beloved work greeted her on top of the desk. The nice thing about science was that it was a constant. It remained unchanging, it was reliable, it was a universal objective truth. Most importantly,  _it made sense_. The emotions swirling within, the uncertainty that shrouded her, she should have been above that that.

With trembling hands, she grabbed a book and started flipping through the pages, trying her hardest to absorb the text within and forget what had just happened. At least this book made sense. In confusing times like these, making sense of anything was all one could ask for.


	4. Chapter 4

Lumbricus Terrestri. Street-name: earthworm.

Lisa scooped out another pile of soil with her shovel, uncovering a specimen of said species right before her. It was pink and glistened slightly beneath the sun, squirming ever so slightly at the sudden exposure to the surface. A fascinating species, unique in its squishy limbless form, its composition so fundamentally different to the familiar humanoid anatomy.

Poke poke.

The earthworm wriggled in lieu of Lisa poking it with her finger, as it twisted and curled against the grimy life-giving soil. After a few seconds, it stopped jerking around and resumed its previous behavior of slight barely noticeable twitches.

She raised her index finger to her face and inspected it, noting the specks of dirt and the glistening mucus that stuck to the tip. She touched her index finger and thumb together, further noting the stickiness of the residue on her digit.

Meanwhile, the children around her screamed and cheered as they ran around and played in the school yard. Some swung on swings, some rocked the seesaw, and some climbed the monkey bars. Lisa wasn't oblivious to this of course, but if living in the Loud house offered any kind of life experience, it was the ability to filter out external stimuli and focus on her own thing.

"Lisa, what are you doing there?"

She refused to acknowledge the voice that sounded just like her teacher, instead opting to continue poking at the worm, watching it writhe and wiggle. "Well, if you must know, I'm conducting field research."

Ms. Shrinivas shook her head. "You can't just be by yourself all the time. You have to try and talk to people."

That caught her attention. She turned to face her teacher with a look of incredulity.

"What, you're telling me to talk with  _them_?"

Lisa motioned towards the playground ahead of her, where the children continued to play. Ms. Shrinivas quickly glanced to see what Lisa was pointing at before facing her again.

"What's wrong with them?" She asked.

"I refuse to associate with ditzy kindergarteners that are incapable of learning basic chemistry."

"I don't appreciate this attitude Lisa," Ms. Shrinivas warned. "You know, there's more to life than just science."

"Great," Lisa spat out. "First the matriarch, now the educator! Repeated offenses of proverbially blasphemous claims!'

"You're not giving them a chance," Ms. Shrinivas replied.

"P'shaww, that was one of the first things I tried! I was roped into some silly coloring activity with some 'Ruth' girl, utilizing inferior utensils and scribbling incoherent patterns across the page for reasons beyond comprehension!"

Ms. Shrinivas hummed as she thought to herself for a few seconds. "You can't expect to get along with everyone. We're all unique and different."

"So then consider: maybe they're all too 'unique' and 'different' from me." Lisa emphasized those two words with air quotes. "I'm far too advanced for them to keep up with, and they have nothing of value to offer me."

"Looks like we have a lot to work on…" Ms. Shrinivas muttered to herself.

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Yes, they do indeed."

With that, she turned to face the dirt again, catching a glimpse of Ms. Shrinivas shaking her head. She heard the footsteps from her teacher slowly fading away until they were barely audible, becoming indistinguishable from the crowd.

So, back to the worm.

That specimen of hers was slowly wriggling away, attempting to burrow back into the dirt below. Ms. Shrinivas and her antics distracted her from what was truly important! She grabbed a shovel from the side and made quick work of uncovering the slithering detritivore, ready for close examination with careful eyes.

There was something curious about it. Considering its physical form, it was no doubt hampered in mobility, durability, or otherwise infested with weaknesses. It wasn't very fast, it was susceptible to injury, it lacked many of what humans would consider basic components of a body. Yet somehow, this seemingly useless creature had a purpose in the ecosystem. It served as a keystone species for processing nutrients in the soil, which the rest of the environment depended on. The worm was good for that, and  _that alone_.

What a shame though, this worm would forever be relegated to that single monotonous task, with no greater capacity for thought. No complex thought, no awareness of self, no greater aspirations. It was held back by what it was, and there were no hopes of it ever achieving greatness.

But what did she know, it wasn't like she was much better off herself…

* * *

_"Lisa, we need to talk."_

_The child prodigy raised her head from her book and glanced at the entrance where Dr. J stood._

_"What happened to calling me 'Dr. Loud'?" she sullenly asked._

_Dr. J ignored the question and walked up to the desk, her face maintaining a façade of neutrality. One look into her eyes however, and there was an unmistakable seething anger seeping through._

_"Let's just get to the point," Dr. J said, crossing her arms. "We're letting you go. You can't be here."_

_Considering the gravity of the statement, the calmness in which she delivered them proved to be especially unnerving, dropping it upon Lisa like a thousand bricks. No setup or beating around the bushes, just a deadpan delivery of the cold hard truth._

_With a gulp, she forced herself to eek out a word: "What?"_

_"Heli's at the pad." Dr. J pointed at the door._

_"But, this lab, it's-"_

_"I'm sorry. You're too young to work with us."_

_"Too young!?" Lisa yelled. "I showed you a proof of concept on time travel!"_

_Dr. J shook her head. "With that attitude? Just proving my point."_

_Lisa's anger quickly simmered down with that, her eyes widening with realization at just what she had done. Her anger was nothing compared to the the most crushing blow of all: the possibility that maybe, just maybe, Dr. J was right._

_So, she slumped her shoulders, hopped off the stool, and slowly trudged her way towards the entrance. There, she took one final longing gaze at the glorious lab she once had the privilege and honor of working at, and was now leaving behind. This was a dream come true, and hopelessly dashed._

_The gaze didn't last long, as Dr. J quickly followed behind, opened the door, and pushed Lisa through, away from it all._

* * *

Lisa threw her at the heap before her and rested her head on top of her other grimy hand. Her failure at the institution was inexcusable. She should have known better! Stuck in the body of a 4-year-old and trapped in the mental prison that was her unrestrained emotional self. In many ways, she wasn't much better than the worm before her. Whether the others at the National Science Foundation were in the right or not didn't matter in the end. They could refuse to fund projects for their own reasons, and no one in their right mind would fund the brainchild of a 4-year-old.

Poke poke.

This time, Lisa wasn't the one doing it. A chill ran down her spine as she felt one on her back near her right shoulder.

She turned around to see a girl just about her age behind her with long dark-brown hair, wearing a sleeveless cyan shirt with a pink flower on it, yellowish shorts, and most prominently, white LED light-up shoes.

"Hi!" the girl greeted.

Great. Another one of the kids. What did  _she_  want?

"Erm, uh, greetings!" Lisa fumbled a bit. "I'm afraid I'll be busy for a while, so if you're looking to engage in casual sport or play, I won't be available."

Nor would she be interested.

"Oh, that's okay!" she cheerfully replied. "I just wanted to give you something!"

The girl dug into her pocket, produced a chocolate bar, and held it out to Lisa with a smile on her face.

"Here you go!"

The chocolate dangled in front of her like a carrot on a stick, and her mouth watered at the prospect of treating her taste buds to a sweetened delight. She swore she could almost  _smell_  the lusciousness of the sweetened theobroma cacao bars. That was something she would almost never refuse.

"That's uh, that's very generous!" Lisa stammered. "But why?"

"I thought you might want some too!"

Well, she wasn't wrong about that. "Yes, but why give it to me? Why not keep some for yourself?"

"Don't you want it?" the girl asked. She gestured the chocolate towards Lisa for emphasis.

Whoever this person before her was, she was proving to be quite something. She seemed to have a complete inability to backup her reasoning, instead resorting to deflection. And yet, with this broken line of thought, there was a point of interest within. Her behavior was to her detriment, depriving herself of a pleasure she certainly could have chosen to keep for herself.

Why would she default to giving the chocolate away? This was behavior that demanded further investigation.

"Well, alright then." Lisa took the chocolate in her hand, inspecting it for any imperfections. A small metallic tearing sound could be heard as she peeled the folds on the back, slowly revealing the treat within.

All the while, she kept glancing up at the girl before her, tracking her demeanor and intent. So far, that person had maintained the same upbeat expression the entire time, not a hint of corruption seeping through.

Slowly, Lisa took the treat and put a corner into her mouth, where a satisfying crack could be heard as she bit it off. The piece melted slowly, chemically digested by her saliva, no assistance needed from her teeth as her gustatory senses were treated with a saccharine sense unlike any other. This was definitely chocolate alright, no doubt about it.

But alas, the question nagging at her thought wouldn't leave her mind. Why would someone willingly give the chocolate away?

"Do you like it?"

"Oh!" she snapped her attention back to the person before her. "Uh, yes, I suppose gratitude is in order."

"Yay!" the girl cheered. "Wanna play on the seesaw?"

Was that what the chocolate was for? Bribery? For such an asinine activity nonetheless! Why would anyone ever trade a chocolate bar for that? When it came down to it, the seesaw was merely a collaborative effort at subjecting each participant to a certain amount of g-force, simulating a falling sensation in a controlled environment. There was no good reason to ever intentionally induce a fight or flight response. Why anyone would ever do so was completely beyond her.

But all the while, the genuine smile on the girl's face never left her mind. No indication of sadism, malice, or any kind of discontent. It was oddly unsettling just how upbeat of an attitude she maintained, but that only piqued her curiosity even further. So many questions raised, so many lapses in reason. There just had to be some hidden factor playing in here. What an interesting case study this is looking to be!

"Well," Lisa glanced away for a second before focusing on the girl again. "I suppose I could make time for myself."

"Yay!"

The girl grabbed Lisa's hand and tugged her away from her field research, leading her towards the aforementioned seesaw. Lisa was forced to keep pace, walking faster than usual within her grip. Her head turned in all directions as she was put in close proximity with the children she tried so hard to avoid before, the stimuli she filtered out earlier crashing down upon her at full force. What a turn of events, she was about to become  _one of them_.

But it's for a case study, right?

Finally, they arrived at the seesaw on the other end of the yard. It was about 3 meters long, the paint on it was chipping off from wear and use, and the metal handles at the ends had the marks that were reminiscent of hundreds, maybe thousands of children constantly putting their grubby hands there and leaving an impression. One end was lowered while the other end was raised about twice her height in the air.

Seeing this, she started twiddling her thumbs together, feeling a twinge in her heart at what was about to go down. Somehow, that seesaw looked a lot bigger up close compared to when it was but a mere concept in her head.

Meanwhile, the girl wasted no time in sitting herself down on one end of the seesaw, waving at Lisa with a grin on her face. "Come on!"

"Er, uh," she hesitated. "How do you expect me to get on?" Lisa said with an uneasy smile.

"It's easy!" the girl responded. "I'll go up the seesaw, and you get on when the seat is down!" She kicked herself above the ground for emphasis, briefly rising halfway before being lowered.

Didn't leave much time allotted to actually get on, did it now? She'd have approximately half a second to mount before the seat inevitably rose, making way for potential injuries. Precision was key: precision she couldn't be sure she had. The more she thought about the seesaw, the more her subconscious mind told her to stay away and not bother. The seesaw didn't have a practical purpose, why subject herself to this?

The girl on the seesaw meanwhile gazed at Lisa with curious eyes, who stood frozen in place. Seeing this, she got off the seesaw and walked up the other end to lower it.

"Here, how about you get on the seesaw first?"

That girl and her darned grin! The way it continued to pierce through doubt and hesitation, it compelled even the most stoic of individuals. Her attempts at getting Lisa to join her, they were always gentle and encouraging, never overbearing. Always asking and never demanding. This girl's charisma was truly one to behold.

"Well, alright then…"

Timidly, she took small steps over to the seat until she was directly next to it. Seating herself should have been a trivial task, but as she straddled the seesaw and lowered herself, she felt her muscles tensing like never before. Her grip on the handles were tight as ever, but her sensation in her hands and arms were weak, an almost powerless feeling. Forget 'asinine', this whole situation was insane!

All this, from a seesaw intended for children.

"I know this looks hard, but it's a lot of fun!" the girl encouraged her.

The longer Lisa sat on the seesaw, the less sense her own thoughts made. They were merely but a blur now, reduced to confusion, incoherent instincts, and an indescribable anxiety. What more, her own actions continued to baffle her. She just  _knew_  the seesaw was pointlessly inane. Just about everything within herself screamed at her to stop and accept that fact before it was too late. Yet, despite all of this, the most disturbing disconnect of all was just how she ignored these internal pleas and trooped on anyway.

"So, I just push myself up?" Lisa asked with a hesitant hilt.

"Yup!" The girl walked back to the other end of the seesaw now, putting her hands behind her back and leaning forward slightly with an expectant gaze.

Lisa's legs turned to proverbial jelly, and she was in no state to remind herself that was merely the weakening of her tensed muscles induced by anxiety. That whimsical carefree girl before didn't just have a compelling grin, she had a mastery of her fear Lisa could only dream of. Just how did she do it!?

She would never find out unless she tried.

With that, she squeezed her eyes shut, tightened her grip on the handles, and lifted off.

Her feet lost contact with the familiarity that was the ground below her, now in the air and temporarily being supported by the seat she was on. Her hands continued to squeeze until they were pale white and the blood was sucked out dry, while her heart froze at the prospect of having entered an uncharted territory: one where she was left at the mercy of the seesaw, with little autonomy or control over herself.

A few seconds passed however until Lisa finally realized there was no longer a force being exerted on her.

She slowly opened her eyes, starting with a squint and slowly exposing herself to the situation she found herself in as she widened her eyes even further.

There, she stared down at the girl below, who was now sitting down on her end of the seesaw, waving a hand at Lisa and sporting another one of her bright smiles she had come to be familiar with for the past 5 minutes. What more, she was raised 4 feet in the air, giving her a view of the yard from another perspective, looking at a downward angle instead of upwards.

It was an odd sensation. She was partially at peace just sitting in the air, her grip on the handles loosening slightly to reflect that. However, a part of her was still uneasy. Newton's 3rd law stated that for every action, there would be an equal and opposite reaction. She was stuck in the air, awaiting the imminent drop back to the surface.

Her mind was left a frazzle. Stay up, or come down? Both were equally as nerve-wracking.

The thought was interrupted however as the girl shot herself up in the air, immediately subjecting Lisa to the anticipated opposing force and forcing her to the ground. Her muscles instinctively tensed and her heart stopped as she hung onto the handles for dear life.

Not long after however, she found herself rested towards the ground again, the view around her suddenly changing to one more familiar to her shorter stature. She let out a few short breaths as she glanced upwards at the girl, who had both handles on the seesaw and was returning the gaze.

It's okay, nothing to worry about, she told herself. The seesaw obviously wasn't one of her murderous doomsday devices, it was made with children in mind. She would be okay.

She was okay actually. This whole experience was weird, but it was kinda okay. Yes, her fears were mostly irrational, but to have lived through them… that was satisfying.

"Come on! Keep going!" the girl on the other end called out to her.

Without skipping a beat, Lisa did so. She kicked herself up again, feeling the familiar sensation of rising up in the air, soon reaching the top and getting the upper view of the yard as she did earlier. There was little time to think and appreciate the scene however as she immediately started descending.

And again, just as she landed, she immediately kicked herself up, now creating a repetitive set of motions, the lift and fall following each other in succession. Her grip on the handles didn't loosen and her muscles remained tense. Mentally however, a part of her was oddly at peace. It was as if she had accepted the situation she was currently in, taking these self-inflicted forces upon herself with stride.

"Isn't this fun?" the girl on the other end cheered.

Was it? Lisa couldn't tell. But  _something_  kept her going. There, they continued rocking for the next few minutes, with the girl on the other end giggling, and Lisa hanging on, just barely surviving the experience.

Suddenly, a loud whistle was heard. Lisa turned to the source of the noise to see Ms. Shrinivas holding one in the distance.

"Okay kids! Recess is over! Time to go back to class!" she announced.

A few groans were heard, but nonetheless, children trudged their way towards their teacher, gathering around her in an amorphous blob. The girl on the other end also complied, getting off as soon as her side was lowered to the ground. With Lisa on the other side up in the air, she immediately shot down to the ground, with no weight to support the other side as she landed with a thud.

"Ow…" Lisa stood up, dazed from the experience as she rubbed the debris off her rear end with one hand and adjusted her glasses with the other.

Part of her just knew the seesaw was still as pointless as it was. But to actually be on it, that changed everything. What she experienced wasn't just a bunch of forces and laws at work, it was a psychological thriller. She was reduced to her primal instincts, constantly anxious and unable to think. Yet, the most disturbing of all, the part she couldn't explain… some part of her wanted to try that again.

Lisa glanced up at the girl from earlier, who was walking further away. That girl had shown her something that could never uncover in any book or experiment. Her view on the world, her mastery over her emotions, and a gateway to an experience unlike any other. Perhaps it was time to heed Ms. Shrinivas's words and give someone a chance.

"Wait!"

The girl turned around to see Lisa with arms behind her back, slowly approaching her.

"I don't believe we've formally introduced ourselves. Lisa Loud." She extended her hand at that.

The girl grinned the widest grin she had all day, as she accepted Lisa's hand into her own and started shaking it. "I'm Darcy! Nice to meet you!"


	5. Chapter 5

Song:  _A Spoonful of Sugar_ sang by Julie Andrews (1964)

It was unusually quiet today. In the Loud House, that meant the house wasn't constantly being surrounded by explosions, guitar riffs, or screaming children every 5 seconds. The only sound that could be heard were the pages Lisa turned while reading her book on the couch, the TV on in front of them, and Lily giggling next to her, enjoying it all. Aside from them, none of the siblings were home, leaving the entire house to themselves.

Lisa felt a tug on her shirt, breaking her concentration on her book. She turned to acknowledge Lily, who gripped Lisa's sleeve within one hand, while pointing at the TV with the other hand.

"Sha sha!" she said.

"Sweet simple Lily, I have other matters to concern myself with right now," Lisa responded. "I've recently acquainted myself with Darcy Helmandollar, whatever kind of mental gymnastics I performed to achieve that."

Of course, Lily didn't say anything back.

"This girl's a fascinating one," Lisa continued. "She's taken an initiative to benefit me at the expense of her own self, and has successfully managed to get me to undertake an activity I would have previously never agreed to otherwise. Her psychological prowess is one that demands investigation."

Lily merely giggled again, as she relaxed and focused on the TV. Lisa glanced up at the screen as well, only to see the same trite imagery she had vague memories of for the past several minutes. There was an early 1900s depiction of an English home, where two annoyingly cheerful and naïve children were being taken care of by an equally absurd nanny. Supposedly, the audience was expected to believe that the woman simply opened up an umbrella and floated down from above, with inexplicable origin and highly questionable means. What nonsense!

So, Lisa turned her head back down to flip through a book not riddled with fictional hullabaloo. Her younger sister didn't know any better. Her mind wasn't fully developed, easily enamored by the simple pleasures in life, such as the colorful visual and pleasant sounds on the TV.

Their relationship was an odd one however. Despite Lily being incapable of holding a serious discussion (or a discussion at all), there was something comforting about talking to her. It was an odd habit she developed, and nowadays it just felt right. Not like there was anything detrimental about verbally stating her thoughts, but there was that hope that maybe Lily would be able to engage in these conversations. She was listening, right?

Ding dong!

How convenient! Lisa perked her head up as she heard the doorbell sound up ahead. She got up from the couch and walked over, reaching up the doorknob to open it. There at the entrance was Darcy, gripping the saddles on her backpack with both hands, and sporting the same pure grin she had for just about every encounter Lisa ever had with her.

"Hi, Lisa!"

"Greetings Darcy!"

"Your house looks like fun!" Darcy added as she walked inside.

"Yes, yes, the pleasantries are appreciated. Now, how about we just get on with our business?"

"Okay!" she did as she was told and Lisa followed, both sitting next to each other.

With that, Lisa reached under the desk and pulled out a briefcase, dropping it on the table and sounding an audible thud. She clicked the clips open and lifted the lid, taking out a stack of spiral-bind books and dropping them in front of Darcy.

"Ooh, what's this?" she asked.

"This is a collection of standardized tests designed to test your intelligence quotient," Lisa answered.

Darcy giggled at that. "You use funny words!"

Lisa rolled her eyes as she dug into her pocket for a stopwatch. "Just start answering the questions I ask you, capiche?"

Meanwhile, Darcy found herself staring at the TV, absolutely mesmerized by the colorful imagery and lighthearted atmosphere.

Seeing this, Lisa snapped her fingers. "Hello? Darcy? The test!"

"This show looks fun!" she chirped in response.

That girl and her deflection again! She never seemed to understand any of what Lisa was saying, stuck in her own little bubble and ignoring everything that mattered! How was this girl so dense, yet so charismatic at the same time?

"Focus!" Lisa waved a hand in front of Darcy's face.

"Oh, okay!" she took the booklet out of Lisa's hands and opened it.

Finally, they were getting somewhere!

"This part of the test is testing your mathematical abilities," Lisa explained. "They'll progressively get more difficult over time, you just answer as many questions as you can and skip over the ones you don't know."

With that, Darcy started reading the text on the page. Lisa started the stopwatch, and the numbers started ticking up, with each passing moment spent watching her test subject's every move. This was the start of something amazing! Really, it was the most excited she had been for an experiment in a long time. That girl was quite something to work with, yes. Her fleeting attention span was a slight issue at first, but she seemed relatively willing to cooperate. If she continued this way, then it was only a matter of time before the secrets to her distorted worldview would be unlocked.

As she glanced back at Darcy however, she noted that something was a little off.

Lisa stole a glance at the stopwatch in her hand. 10 seconds had passed. She turned her attention back to Darcy, who was still staring at the test. Not reading,  _staring_. There were very little saccadic eye movements to speak of, and changes in posture were few in between. The most she could see was her tapping the eraser end of the pencil dangerously close to her mouth, the pink plastic occasionally edging in ever so slightly, and leaving with what Lisa could swear was saliva glistening on the tip.

_In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun._

Another glance at the stopwatch to see another 10 seconds had passed, and Lisa let out a sigh of exasperation. "Fine, I'll show you an example," she offered.

_You find the fun and snap! The job's a game!"_

She took the pencil from Darcy's hand and pointed at the first question on the page. "This is a simple addition problem asking what 2 + 3 is."

_And every task you undertake becomes a piece of cake_

"A what?" Darcy asked.

Lisa pinched the bridge of her nose. "You learned this in class yesterday!"

_A lark! A spree! It's very clear to see…_

Darcy started counting the fingers on her left hand.

_That…_

Lisa finally let out another sigh of relief.

_A…_

Darcy finally finished counting, and her face glowed with excitement. Maybe they were finally getting somewhere!

_Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…_

"Ms. D has 5 goldfish in her tank!" Darcy suddenly burst out.

_Medicine go down~ medicine go down…_

"What- what does that have to do with anything?" Lisa asked.

_Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…_

"She needed us to help count them yesterday!" Darcy responded.

_In a most delightful way!_

"No- that's not- ughhh…" Lisa groaned at that. "You're completely missing the point!"

_A robin feathering his nest has very little time to rest  
While gathering his bits of twine and twig_

"What don't you understand about this!? Just answer the questions! You're making this really difficult for everyone!"

_Though quite intent in his pursuit he has a merry tune to toot_

"What's difficult?" Darcy asked.

_He knows a song will move the job along_

As much as she hated this feeling, Lisa was at a loss for words. Just what was Darcy asking for? Did she literally not understand what the word 'difficult' meant? Did she not understand the difficulty of the situation? Did she not understand the whole concept behind the test? One thing for sure, there was a lot that the girl didn't seem to understand.

_For a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!_

"Look who I bought with me!" Darcy interrupted. She put her backpack on the ground and opened it, revealing a stuffed giraffe's head poking out from within. She then pulled it out, holding it in front of Lisa with a grin to accompany the stuffed animal.

_The medicine go down~ medicine go down…_

"Say hi to Roffo!" she chirped.

Say hi to what now? This inanimate object? No way she'd be caught making a fool out of herself.

_Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…_

"Right…" Lisa rolled her eyes at that.

"Isn't he the best?" Darcy chirped.

_In a most delightful way!_

"Let me be honest right here," Lisa started. "I have no intentions on entertaining fantasies of sentient children's playthings, and I don't see why it should be any different for this faux giraffa Camelopardalis."

Darcy merely blinked at that.

"Anyways, we're getting sidetracked," Lisa said. "We really should get on with the test."

"This house looks fun!" Darcy said in response. "What else is around here?"

"I really don't care to give you a tour. Now-"

"Catch me if you can!" Darcy burst out. With that, she grabbed the stopwatch from Lisa's hand and ran away, circling around and ending up behind the couch. Lisa immediately shot herself upright and started chasing Darcy. They started circling the couch at that, the chaser reaching her hand out and the chased giggling with glee.

After a few circles, Darcy broke away from the couch, running straight towards the dining room, and Lisa pursuing her. There, they ran around the dining table a few times before Darcy once again broke away to enter the kitchen.

Lisa dashed towards the entrance, but as soon as she arrived there, she paused. A smirk appeared on her face as she positioned herself just out of view and waited for Darcy to finish her bout around the kitchen. Sure enough, Darcy soon appeared at the entrance, and Lisa leapt towards her with both hands in front, ready to tackle her. However, Darcy was just too quick, and Lisa's fingertips ended up just barely brushing against her skin before she landed on the floor.

"Isn't this fun?" Darcy laughed.

No. No this wasn't. How could 'fun' even be on her mind?! What a lost girl with misplaced priorities!

Nonetheless, she slowly forced herself upright, brushing herself off with her shirt and readjusting her glasses. Seeing this, Darcy ran out of the dining room and made a right turn towards what Lisa could only assume was the stairs.

Gritting her teeth and balling her fists, she dashed out of the dining room and made a right turn, where she correctly predicted Darcy would be. With that, they continued the ongoing chase up the stairs. Forget the test, that girl was never gonna sit down long enough to take it! All that mattered now was catching her!

At the top, Lisa turned her head in both directions, and she caught a glimpse of her classmate to the right disappearing into a room. She followed and ran into the only open door, which just so happened to be her lab.

Inside, there were all the regular items that were always there, like the bed, the crib, the desk, etc. There was also an operating table positioned near the closet, complete with surgical tools attached to robotic arms and a helmet-like device attached on the top.

Lisa slammed the door shut behind her and ran towards her desk, where she grabbed a remote and frantically pressed buttons. With that, a whirring noise was heard as a robotic arm extended from the operating table, craning its way ahead of Darcy and nipping the stopwatch from her hands just as she opened the door.

Ahah! Victory at last! Lisa did a celebratory fist bump just as the robotic arm snaked over and passed the stopwatch to her. She accepted it into her hands and checked the time, just to see it tick past 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

Darcy meanwhile gazed at the arm that ended the chase just now, the glee replaced with curiosity as she wandered closer to the operating table it came from. She started poking at one of the arms on the table, eliciting a giggle as she saw it recoil with a slight whirring sound.

"This room looks fun!" she said.

Seeing this, Lisa got an idea.

"Hey, um, Darcy," she started, clearing her throat. "How would you like to play with that thing you're poking right now?"

"Ooh! I wanna play!"

Hook, line, sinker. Lisa smirked as she approached her unsuspecting test subject. "Excellent! Just stand over here while I, uh, make some preparations…" she said the last part with a sinister undertone.

Meanwhile, Darcy obeyed, maintained her upbeat expression, her innocence shielding her from just what would go down.

With that, Lisa started pressing buttons on the control panel. "Now, listen very carefully because if you don't, I can't guarantee your safety. In a few minutes, you will be subject to a variety of tests and operations uncovering your neurology and providing greater understanding of your behavior. You may be subject to various surgical procedures altering said neurological structures, including but not limited to lobotomies- Darcy?"

_The honey bee that fetch that fetch the nectar from the flowers to the comb_

_Never tire of ever buzzing to and fro…_

A glance to her side, and Darcy was no longer where she last placed her.

 _Because they take a little nip from every flower that they sip_ …

Lisa swiveled her head around the room looking for that child, her eyes landing on her desk ahead of her.

_And hence…_

There Darcy was, bending down slightly to open the right drawer.

_They find…_

She was now taking out a vial of a substance children probably shouldn't be left alone with, holding it close to her face with wonder and marvel.

_Their task is not a grind…_

"What's this bubbly thing?"

"Nononono!" Lisa gasped as she dashed towards the desk, quickly grabbed the vial out of Darcy's hands. She threw it back in the drawer, where various vials and beakers containing all sorts of questionable chemicals were organized into rows.

Darcy immediately picked out another vial, again holding it closer to her face, and giving it a little shake. Lisa corollary grabbed the vial out of her grip, praying that the bubbling would stop as she restored its original position. There, Darcy started using both hands now, grabbing random vials from out of the drawer at a faster pace, all the while Lisa struggled to keep up.

Eventually, Darcy moved on to the other drawer to the left, opening it to see all sorts of unknown gadgets and devices crafted by the child prodigy. She poked her hands inside and rummaged through the contents, eventually taking out what looked like a laser pointer and pressed a button. A ray shone out from it, hitting the bookshelf right above the desk and surrounding it with a clear-ish rainbow-tinted hue, almost exactly like the surface of a bubble. The bookshelf started fading at that, soon becoming completely invisible to the naked eye.

Lisa grabbed the device from Darcy, hands shaking while she fumbled with it trying to find the other button to reverse the effect. After a second feeling like several, she pointed it at where the shelf presumably was and fired, the beam encapsulating the outline of the target and making it visible once more.

Just as she finished doing so, she heard a crack and a fizz.

She swiveled her head to the left where Darcy had taken out an item resembling a soda can without labels from the drawer. Lisa cursed herself in that moment, both for failing to label her creations, and her mental lapse with failing to remember just what that thing was.

In the nick of time however, as the foam started leaking from the top, it dawned upon her just what Darcy had done. She reached over and grabbed the can from Darcy, desperately covering the opening with her own hand to no avail. The foam continued accumulating and pressure was exerted on the can's interior, the torrent of bubbles quickly leaking out in a continuous stream until Lisa was covered with a complete mess. Soon, the can stopped bursting out, and Lisa desperately wiped it off herself as it started solidifying, soon trapping her legs within the mess that she failed to address.

She desperately kicked away at the hardened froth, which slightly cracked each time but nonetheless still held her captive. There she stood at the mercy of her own creation, watching as Darcy continued digging through the drawer, taking out all kinds of questionable designs. 100% effective hand sanitizer, mind-reading contact lenses, stale Gloweos, the list went on and on.

Soon, Darcy glanced away from the drawer and caught her eye on a certain remote that Lisa had used earlier. She reached over and held it within her own hands, eyes widening at possibilities. Lisa's eyes widened as well, but they were the result of dread and fear, the uncertainty of just what would unfold overtaking her.

A whirring noise was heard to the left, and Lisa jerked her head in that direction. To her dismay, the same robotic arm that she had maneuvered earlier was now moving on its own, albeit in a much more erratic fashion than before. It was almost reminiscent of the disorderly mindset that was held by Darcy, who was pressing arbitrary buttons on the remote with no reason or rhyme.

Beads of sweat starting forming on Lisa's forehead as she doubled her efforts at breaking free from the congealed bubbles. The material below her caved at a snail's pace, and she was further held prisoner by her nerves and how the arm would jerk wildly in the air, the tension rising as it threatened to wreak havoc on the laboratory.

Suddenly, the arm swinging around in the air veered towards the operating table it came from. Lisa gasped and her jaws dropped, with little else she could do other than continue to helplessly struggle in place. There it collided, the sounds of crushed metal and electrical sparks heard in excruciating detail as all the destruction all in plain sight. The control panel, the arms, the MRI scanner on top, everything there was smashed and in smithereens.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lisa screamed at that, kicking the solidified foam one final time and breaking free.

Darcy's head suddenly jerked in Lisa's direction and froze, her eyes now filled with fear.

Lisa wasted no time in stomping over to her, grabbing the remote from her hand and stuffing all the inventions taken out of the drawer back inside. She then slammed it shut before glaring at the girl that had caused this entire mess.

"Just what is wrong with you!?" Lisa growled. "Do you have any idea what you've just done!?"

She pointed at the now broken operating table. "This… this is the result of your own foolishness! You've been nothing but trouble! I can't believe I was stupid enough to think I could even try and understand you!"

Darcy, who was staring in fear before, now started welling tears up in her eyes.

"Just go!" Lisa shouted, pointing at the door. "Out!"

In record time, Darcy had gone from a girl that was always cheery and optimistic, to someone who was sobbing and covering her eyes, now running out of the room.

"Serves her right," Lisa muttered. She walked up to the operating table and inspected the parts, or at least what little of them were left. They were shattered, just like her aspirations. Darcy wouldn't sit down to take a test, and scanning her neurology clearly wasn't possible now given how she destroyed the machine that would let her do it.

"Goo!"

Lisa turned her head left to see Lily down at the floor, glancing upwards with a disapproving glare on her face.

"When'd you get here?" Lisa grumbled.

Lily simply shook her head in response.

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Lisa asked. "That girl's a nuisance!"

With that, she turned away and focused on salvaging whatever parts she could from the machine. Again, it wasn't easy considering the parts were mostly fragmented into a million pieces, but the material could probably be used somehow. There had to be something she could save, right?

She felt another tug at her leg.

"It's not my fault!" Lisa snapped. "She didn't do what I told her to!"

Lily sat on the rug and crossed her arms with a disapproving glare.

Heaving an exasperated sigh, she moved onto the control panel, which was luckily fairly intact, save for a bent neck and a few cracks on the display. She pressed a button, causing the screen to light up, and allowing her to start swiping and pressing buttons.

The machine whirred slightly at that, and some machine components showed visible signs of movement. The parts that moved were all heavily damaged however, and a few sparks flew, some of which almost hit Lisa. Within a few seconds, the sound of electrical failure was heard, the whirring stopped, and the machine was just as lifeless as it could be.

She facepalmed as she stomped over to her desk, picked a book out from the bookshelf, opened it to a random page and started reading. There she sat and stared, filling her mind with all kinds of chemical equations and laws.

But try as she would, no matter how hard she tried to occupy her mind, none of what was on the page registered in her mind at all. There were other thoughts looming that just wouldn't leave her alone.

That face.

Darcy's face.

That look she gave as Lisa screamed at the loss of a prized possession, the way Darcy froze as Lisa broke free, the tears that welled up within that girl's eyes as Lisa spewed the cold hard truth.

She shook her head and flipped a page, again trying her hardest to actually read the text. That was but a façade however; the words were read, but they were turned to a complete incomprehensible mess in her mind. Another flip of the page, and the same failures came along with it. The more she tried to read, the less she found she was actually doing so.

All because of that darned face that wouldn't leave her mind.

Slamming her book shut, she swiveled herself away from the desk, grabbing the scalps of her hair with both hands and pressing her wrists on top of her eyes. That face really bothered her, and it was really starting to get on her freaking nerves.

"It… just… won't… go…"

Lily simply remained where she was earlier, still frowning at her older sister.

Lisa moved her hands to the side and rubbed them off her face, glancing up ahead to acknowledge her younger sister as well.

"I don't understand… why should this bother me as much as it does?"

Lily raised an eyebrow and cocked her head forward.  _What do you think, genius?_

"You think I know!?" Lisa suddenly burst out. "Darcy: a simple-minded fool with the attention span of a carassius auratus. Who knew that this would be the most diabolical scientific endeavor of them all!? Nothing about her makes sense!"

Lisa stood up from the stool and started pacing in a circle around the room. "From the very first time I meet her, what does she do? She gives me a sugary confectionary! For what reason? There's no personal gain on her part!" She rolled her eyes at that. "She gets me to ride a seesaw too!  _A seesaw!_ " she spat that word out with scorn. "Useless recreational device! Useless I tell you!" She waved an arm dismissively.

"It's all part of a plan. Has to be. She's playing the long-con!" Lisa feigned a smile and forced a laugh at that idea. "She's driving me into insanity! An attempt at regressing my mental acuity! What a mastery of human psychology! Truly manipulative!"

"But why?" Lisa dropped herself into a sitting position on the floor, resting her head on her hands. "Why would she do this?"

For several seconds, not another word was uttered, and silence overtook the room. There Lisa sat, staring down at the ground below, contemplating just what little she could of the situation. Meanwhile, Lily simply gazed up at her older sister with curiosity and intent.

"She toyed with me…" Lisa finally sighed. "Who could possibly resist that chocolate? That sweet saccharine scrumptiousness, such a wonderful treat…"

Another several seconds passed without a peep from either party.

Eventually, Lily started crawling off, making her way towards the door. Lisa's eyes followed as she watched her sister leave the room, eventually disappearing into the hallway.

With that, she stood up and started wiping her glasses on her sweater. It was about time she moved on as well. Chocolate sounded pretty good.

So she left the room as well, going down the hall and making her way down the stairs. The sounds of the movie playing on the TV became audible again, the melodious tone of the whimsical nanny filling the room. As she descended, Lisa turned her head towards the TV where the music came from.

There in front of the TV was Darcy. Her face was hidden, but otherwise she didn't move, back slumped against the couch and arm resting on the side.

Lisa continued climbing down the stairs, now with deliberate pacing and tipping her toes as to not make a sound. At the bottom, she turned to face her test subject from earlier, tilting her head as she gazed intently.

Below Darcy's eyes were glistens of tears, mostly dried up by now, but still leaving the evidence behind. She no longer had that same smile that she always did, now appearing calmer and blank. The downward curve of her lips seeped through however; something had changed her.

Seeing this, Lisa turned her head away and trudged towards the dining room, avoiding  _that face_  at all costs. That was disturbing. It just didn't feel right.

BUT WHY!?

Pushing that thought aside, she entered the kitchen, pulled the stool up from the side and put it next to the counter. She climbed on top and reached on the tip of her toes to open the cabinet that housed the delicious candy. There they were, stacked in piles. Plenty for the family of 13, and definitely enough for herself. She took one of them, closed the cabinet, then climbed down, seating herself on the floor right next to the stool.

She opened the wrapper and took a bite off, hearing a crack and dropping tiny pieces on her lap. The chocolate slowly melted on her tongue at that, treating her taste buds to a sweet delight. For the longest-lasting experience, the best way to each chocolate was to avoid mastication with her teeth and let chemical digestion take over. Goodness, was it worth savoring the treat or what? If there were things worth getting excited over, this was it. That time she got the chocolate during recess wasn't just a logical victory, it was truly a pleasant surprise.

But Darcy…

Her stomach knotted at the notion of that girl still being stained in her mind. Darcy seemed happy with giving the treat away. No matter how Lisa thought of it, that idea just felt so antithetical. But now, she couldn't bear the idea of her acting any other way, no matter how backwards it was.

Heh. Ironic. Looks like she herself wasn't entirely free of irrational thought either.

She glanced down at the chocolate in her hand, ready to take another bite. As she bought it up to her face however, she paused.

Chocolate was a source of happiness. Darcy was seemingly content with giving such sources of happiness away. But now, she was in need.

Perhaps there was room for one more test today. Darcy wouldn't sit down or stay still to take one, but Lisa could take it upon herself to conduct a test of her own. Sometimes, the best way to understand something is to try it yourself. It was simple, and it was crazy. If Darcy could be fearlessly irresponsible enough to try the various inventions in the lab hands-on, then Lisa could definitely give someone a piece of chocolate.

So, she didn't bite off the chocolate. Instead, she stood up and slowly made her way out of the kitchen, through the dining room, and into the living room. Darcy still remained in the couch, blankly staring at the colorful visuals and cheerful music on screen.

Lisa timidly paced over to the couch, taking deliberately small steps and making as little sound as possible. They were nowhere near small enough however, as the 10 seconds she took to get there felt more like milliseconds.

Eventually, she stood right next to the armrest. Darcy's arm still lay there, and she still stared ahead, not turning to acknowledge her at all.

Walking to the couch felt too short. Now, standing there felt too long. Lisa simply stood there for several seconds, dumbstruck as to how to actually approach her. A part of her screamed at her to stop.  _This isn't right! Why cater to the girl, that idiot who caused thousands of dollars of damage, who couldn't focus on a single task for longer than 5 seconds, whose worldview so nonsensical and small-scale!?_

One look at Darcy again however, and her face said it all.

 _This isn't about what makes sense,_  she told herself.  _This is about doing what feels right._

So, she nipped those thoughts in the bud and took a deep breath, ejecting all her self-doubt with it.

"Greetings, Darcy."

For a few seconds, there was no response, just the sounds of the TV filling the room again. Those few seconds felt like an eternity however, as her mind raced with possibilities. The self-doubt still lingered in the air, and it threatened to enter her system again the longer she waited.

"Hi Lisa."

Acknowledgement received. If only Lisa had thought as far as planning out just how to  _continue_  the conversation! It was her turn to wait a few seconds made an eternity now, as she fumbled to find the right words to say.

"I, uh, I wanted to give you something."

Such a simple and obvious statement that took a disproportionate amount of time to find. It did the trick however, as for the first time in a while, Darcy turned her head away from the TV to face the child prodigy.

Lisa, who held the chocolate to her side, raised it up and gestured it towards Darcy, signaling her to take it. Darcy's eyes followed the chocolate, but she didn't accept it within her hands. Soon, the gesturing stopped, and she simply held it in the air.

"Why?" Darcy finally asked, glancing back at Lisa.

At this point, the pauses in between sentences should have been the norm. That didn't stop them from feeling any less awkward, nor did it speed up Lisa's ability to respond the righty way as well.

"Well," Lisa glanced away as she started, "You looked sad. I thought this would help."

Darcy's eyes bounced back to the chocolate, still being held in the air. After another glance at Lisa, she slowly accepted the chocolate, now gazing down at it within her hands. She put it up to her mouth and bit off a piece, all the while Lisa watched with expectant eyes.

The slight frown on Darcy's face started disappearing, the downward curve on her lips gradually being flipped upside down. Soon, her demeanor was more reminiscent of the girl that Lisa had met at the playground during recess.

"This is good chocolate," Darcy said, taking another bite.

Lisa continued watching her eat the chocolate, a smile slowly forming on her face as well. Watching that girl enjoy the treat, it felt almost contagious.

"I'm glad you enjoy it," she responded.

"Thanks Lisa!" Darcy chirped. "You're a good friend!"

A friend? Could Lisa really consider herself one? This wasn't really something she thought about often, but she never considered herself friend material, especially not after taking her anger out on Darcy. She never sought out friends herself, those arbitrary connections never felt as though they had a purpose. Coworkers, they all united under the guise of accomplish a set of goals. What did friends do?

It was when she glanced up at the girl eating the chocolate however that it clicked for her. Darcy might not have always made sense. She might not be the smartest, but it wasn't about that. Her unique outlook on this world opened up to opportunities for Lisa to learn and experience what books could never offer. With that, and her positively accepting nature, maybe being friends had a purpose after all. Darcy was a friend she didn't deserve. It was exactly because of this that Lisa could feel good about calling her one as well.

"You're a good friend too," Lisa said softly, almost hoping she didn't hear.

She definitely heard however, as Darcy grinned the widest she had all day. It was then that Lisa knew: the friendship was cemented.

"Ooh! Look who I bought with me!"

Darcy reached down to pick up her bag, digging out a familiar stuffed animal from earlier. She held the giraffe up to Lisa's face, the head brushing against her chin.

"Say hi to Roffo!"

What a familiar situation. It seemed Darcy already forgot about the lecture from earlier. She didn't seem to remember a lot of things actually. One look at Darcy however, and the glowing pride in her eyes said it all.

To hell with whether it was real or not. It meant something to her friend. If Lisa could give away chocolate, then she could certainly say hi to an inanimate object.

"Hello Roffo," she greeted back. "Lisa Loud, PhD." She extended her hand and shook Roffo's leg as if it were a hand.

They both giggled at that, and Lisa now had a smile to mirror her new friend's. If this was what friendship entailed, then that didn't seem like a bad thing at all.

None of this entirely made sense, but that was okay. Lisa was happy, and that was what mattered.

_For a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…_

_The medicine go down~ medicine go down…_

_Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…_

_In a most delightful way!_


	6. Chapter 6

The lights were off, and no one was in the hallway to accompany the dead silence. The Loud family were all fast asleep and in no a hurry to wake up on another Sunday morning. There would be plenty of time for noise and chaos later.

It wasn't long however until a door on one end of the hallway creaked open, breaking the silence. Lisa poked her head out through the opening and turned in both directions. Nothing to note, just as one would expect from this time of day.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a folded-up magazine page, unfolding it within her hands. The creases were whitened, and the paper was crumpled with several weeks of wear. On the page, an advertisement for a purple teddy bear with a heart in the middle was shown. Something called a "Snuggle 'n Cuddle Bear". Once upon a time, she wouldn't even dare associate with Lola's magazines, or be influenced by the advertisements, or the stuffed animal that it was clearly promoting. But here she was, holding one in her hands at this very moment.

Lisa shook her head as she folded the page and returned it to her pocket. Gosh, did all of this sound ridiculous or what? Ever since she met Darcy, she was subjected to all kinds of nonsense. From the first time she gave her the chocolate, to the time they were on the seesaw, to entertaining fantasies of a sentient stuffed giraffe. Better put a stop to it all now while she can.

Immediately after she stuffed her pocket however, she paused, then quickly took the page and unfolded it again. There, she admired the bear and its soft synthetic fur, the inexplicably comforting beady eyes, the perpetual smile it held, and the heart in the center, symbolizing an unconditional love it was incapable of giving. This toy wasn't practical. She had told herself that several times. But the way it had endeared itself to her, that was undeniable.

As a girl of science, she was not about leading a life of delusion. Her feelings would always be there, no matter what. Past attempts at suppression were miserable failures, and they always won out in the end. This would be her first step towards accepting that reality.

So, she stuffed the page into her pocket once more and finally slipped her body through the crack in the door. She closed it, taking care to minimize the inevitable click upon securing itself. Taking a step ahead, she landed on the tips and slowly put the rest of her foot down, careful not to make a sound. Every little noise she made would stand out in the quiet early morning. Granted, her family lived up to their surname well, but they were heavy sleepers. Lisa could probably set an explosion off in her room and they'd merely turn in their beds for a few seconds before continuing their slumber.

Despite all this however, she continued tip-toeing through the hallway. There was always that risk of someone waking up, and she was not about to deal with any kind of confrontation, no matter how unlikely. They were a threat to the operation! Perhaps they would ask her to do their homework again, or maybe they'd break her concentration, or… or…

Okay, who was she kidding? None of these held a candle to the real threat at hand: herself and her fears of being exposed as nothing more than another average case scenario of a 4-year-old child.

As she arrived at the other end of the hallway, she turned left, facing Lori and Leni's room. There, she simply stood, making no attempt to enter at all, staring at the wooden surface. Instead, she dug into her pocket and unfolded the magazine page again, gazing at the bear that had captured her proverbial heart.

Was she really about to do this? There was always the chance to turn back now.

So much self-doubt swelled through Lisa's mind, with it going out of its way to find every possible excuse to avoid obtaining the teddy bear she coveted. She couldn't make up her mind; did she want the teddy bear or not!? The fact that she wanted to meet both ends, that was a disturbing disconnect.

If her past experience was a teacher however, there was one valuable lesson to be learned. Sometimes, when in doubt, the best course of action was to just abandon her insecurity and just do it.

So, she stuffed the paper in her pocket and finally reached her hand up to grab the doorknob. She turned it slowly, again with the same kind of care she had leaving her room and walking through the hall. The door creaked open slightly, and she slipped inside through the crack.

The room was dimly lit as well, with the blinds blocking most of the early morning sunshine while Lori and Leni peacefully snored in their own beds. In the midst of this, Lisa tiptoed to one of the mattresses, where she climbed on top next to an unsuspecting oldest sibling.

She dug into her other pocket, which jingled a bit until she finally produced a flashlight from within. Her other hand motioned towards the pocket with the paper in it, but she shook her head and stopped herself just in time. With that, she hovered the flashlight over one of Lori's eyes and finally flipped the switch.

Lori's eyes fluttered slightly open at that while turning her face away. Lisa followed with her flashlight, continuing to shine it at the same eye she had before.

"Wha-whaa?"

"I see you've become fully conscious again," Lisa commented.

Lori pushed the flashlight away from her face. "What is up with this thing?"

"Checking to make sure your pupil dilation is functioning as normal." Lisa stuffed the flashlight back in her pocket at that.

"Okay, that's weird…" Lori rubbed her eyes as she got herself up on the bed. "What do you want?"

"In light of the currently optimal meteorological conditions, I would like to formally request a drive to the mall." She opened the blinds for emphasis, where the sky was clear and the grass was just as green as ever.

"What?" Lori yawned. "It's literally 6 in the morning. Nothing's open yet."

"Your eyes are open Lori," Lisa responded. "I've also taken the liberty of conducting research online beforehand. It's approximately 6:33 AM right now, which indicates that 45% of the stores in the mall are open. I suspect more will open by the time we arrive."

"Can't we at least wait until after breakfast?" Lori stretched and hopped to her feet.

"I anticipated this response, so I have also taken the liberty of preparing my specialty 'kelp leather' for you to chow on while we drive. Patent pending." She produced a green slimy substance from her left pocket, oozing with liquids and aptly described by the name it was given.

"Okay, what's going on?" Lori asked, slightly grimacing as she crossed her arms. "Why do you wanna go to the mall anyways? It's not like you."

"Uhh…" Lisa glanced away as she fumbled to find the right words. "It's for, science. Yeah, science! I require triple A batteries to power my latest invention, one you couldn't possibly understand." She put her hands behind her back and forced a grin on her face.

Lori glared at her younger sister. "Lisa, what is it really?"

The child prodigy dropped her efforts at forcing the grin on her face and it quickly disappeared, replacing itself with a certain fear in her eyes. "I, uh, I'd rather not say." She started tapping the tip of her index fingers together as she turned away from Lori, now sitting on the edge of the bed with a downcast expression.

"Well then, I don't see why we can't just go to the hardware store or something."

"NO!" Lisa suddenly exclaimed, darting her head back at Lori with widened eyes. Almost immediately however, she returned to staring down at the ground below with a slumped back. "I mean, uh…" She put her elbows on her knees and rested her head on her hands with a sigh.

Lori gazed down at her younger sister, confusion replaced with genuine concern in her eyes. "You know you can trust me, right?"

"This knowledge could severely damage my reputation within this household," Lisa sighed.

Hearing this, Lori smiled. She sat on the edge of the bed as well and started rubbing her sister's head. "This stays between you and me, okay?"

The way Lori rubbed her hair, the physical contact, the sweetness and sincerity in her voice, it was all so overwhelming. That, combined with the emotional turmoil swirling within Lisa, and she found herself dazed by it all, unable to move from her bed.

"Share whatever you're comfortable with," Lori reassured her.

Lisa gazed up at her older sister, whose eyes said it all. There was that same sincerity that she had to her voice and touch, piercing through the doubt welling up within the child prodigy.

With that, she finally dug into her right pocket and took out the same magazine page she had stolen glances at hundreds of times by now. She hesitated and turned her head up at Lori, who still gazed downwards with an encouraging smile. Seeing this, Lisa finally unfolded the page, revealing the teddy bear she had yearned for time and time again.

"This is a furry bear-shaped children's plaything, street name 'teddy bear'," she whispered to herself. "When there is external pressure applied towards its abdominal area, it triggers a voice line within, intended to soothe and comfort those with emotional attachment to toys…" she sunk her head down at that and folded up the page again, bracing herself for the inevitable mockery and shame.

Instead of that however, Lori continued rubbing her hair. Lisa glanced up to see the same kindness that emanated from her before, unchanging and just as heartfelt.

"You want one?" Lori asked with a smile.

Lisa hesitated for a few seconds, before looking back and slowly nodding.

Lori chuckled and stood up straight. "Alright then, I'll take you to the mall." She extended her hand at that, waiting for someone to accept.

Without returning another word, Lisa stood up from the bed, glancing up at Lori's hand, then again at her face. Somehow, just looking at her gave her the strength to stay true to herself and continue.

So, she finally accepted Lori's hand, who still remained unchanging with her smile.

"Now come on," Lori said, "Before anyone starts wondering where we are."

Together, they left the room quietly, down the stairs, grabbing the keys and going out the door. As Lori guided them however, there was a nagging sensation that still lingered within Lisa's mind. It followed her as they got in front of Vanzilla, from when Lori opened the door for her, to when they were seated in their respective seats. There, they drove off, leaving behind an unsuspecting family that would never know.

Inside, Lisa took out the magazine page from her pocket again, admiring it and dreaming of what would soon become. Just a few minutes ago, she was undergoing a delicate operation to not wake any family members and to admit to her deepest darkest secrets, and suddenly she was outside without a hitch.

Turning to the left, there was Lori facing forward at the road, lightly strumming her fingers on the steering wheel. What convenient circumstances they were, having an older sister that was so supportive of the operation! The way she accommodated driving to the mall, the way she quelled her fears, her acceptance of the illogical nature of it all, it was so easy… almost too easy even.

Lisa sighed as she put an elbow on the armrest and her head on her hand. None of this felt right. The jeers, the condescension, where was any of it? Here she was, left at the mercy of her older sister and beaten down into submission. That lady possessed the power to blackmail, to berate, to remind Lisa of her fallible human nature. Yet, despite all this, the most jarring thing about it all was that Lori remained just as accepting as ever.

"Lori?" she eventually asked. "Why would you sanction this?"

The strumming on the steering wheel stopped.

"Why not make fun of me, or berate me?" Lisa continued. "Why would you accommodate me with such a foolish endeavor?"

A moment of silence passed between the duo as they continued driving to the mall. Lori's smile disappeared from her face, replacing itself with worry as she tried to focus on the road. Lisa on the other hand rested her head on her hand again, unable to bring herself to look at her older sister.

"Why would I make fun of you?" Lori asked.

"Look at me!" Lisa snapped. "I conduct research and carry out tasks to the highest caliber of the human intellect! I cure diseases left and right, I prove time travel, I can teleport wherever I please, and yet… this…" she lifted her magazine page closer to her face, her muscles relaxing and her gaze softening. "This toy… it compels me…" she sighed.

Lori paused to think at that. "Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Most kids have toys at your age."

"I shouldn't have to contribute to that statistic!" Lisa tightened her grip on the page. "I'm more than a kid! I should be going out making groundbreaking discoveries, or answering mankind's most pressing questions, or you know,  _doing something worthwhile!_ What am I otherwise!? I'm a waste!"

Gritting her teeth, she ripped the page apart in half, stacking the pieces and ripping them, until they couldn't be held and ripped any longer. The fragments fluttered on Lisa's lap at that, while she crossed her arms and leaned back into her seat to stare out the window.

Not long after however, Lisa's arms loosened as she glanced down at the mess she had caused just now. Her eyes widened and she let in a gasp, now frantically gathering the pieces that lay on her lap and collecting them into a single pile. She reached over to try and collect the pieces that fell on the floor, but to no avail, as the seat belt bound her in place. With that, she slumped back in defeat, gazing at the remains of a dream that shouldn't be.

"I don't understand…" she whispered to herself. "What is it about these 'stuffed animals' that make them so endearing?"

Lori took a glance at her younger sister before refocusing on the road. She started strumming her fingers on the steering wheel again as she reached through the crevices of her mind for something to say.

"Well, why do you need an answer so badly?" she finally asked.

"My whole life's work is spent explaining!" Lisa responded. "How can I do that if I'm conceding to the mystique of these toys?"

"What says you can't do both?"

Lisa turned her head up to look at her older sister.

"Yes, you're really smart for your age. I mean, you're the one tutoring me for trig!" Lori chuckled at that. "But you're not just some cold-hearted scientist. You're someone that has emotions, just like anyone else. I mean, think about how excited you got when you make an amazing discovery, or what about when you finally perfect another crazy invention! Why would you even bother if you didn't feel these things? Wouldn't it be super dull?"

Despite her continuing to stare down at the heap on her lap, Lisa heard every single one of Lori's words and what they implied. Her immediate knee-jerk reaction was to lash out and say no! Of course not! How dare she even imply that!

Yet, after the immediate first thought, a second thought set in: the crushing realization that maybe Lori was right. Yes, science was the gateway to understanding the world as we know it, and to achieve humanity's wildest dreams. But what was the point really? Why did they ever have to know these things? What did attaining these dreams accomplish?

She didn't know. But what she did know was her sense of pride upon discovering the means of traveling through time, her excitement upon sharing this knowledge with the world, and the prospect of making it a reality. She knew of the crushing defeat she felt when the National Science Foundation denied her funding, the rage over the preposterousness, and the subsequent defeat at having gotten kicked out.

These feelings that drove her to discover and create, they were the same forces behind her enjoyment of the seesaw, her compassion behind giving chocolate away, and the positive experiences Darcy had granted her overall. In the end, these feelings didn't make sense, but they would always be there, and they would drive her forever.

So, she relaxed her back on the car seat, now with a slight upward curve on the corner of her mouth. "You may have a point, eldest sibling."

Lori pulled up to the mall with that. "I know I'm right," she said. "Come on, the toy store will be open soon."

Soon enough, they found themselves in the Toys 4 U, where children and toddlers all ran around with their parents. Some grabbed toys and played with them, some pleaded to their parents to spare some money, and some cried in the aisles. In short, this was just about any regular elementary schooler's dream.

Lisa found herself in the middle of it all, taking in this environment and observing how starkly they contrasted, yet how similarly she felt to these children. She would  _never_  throw a tantrum, or cry over parents making better judgment calls with their money, or treat the toys as recklessly as the children seemed to be. But a part of her also wanted to join in, to prance through the store and appreciate the meticulous craftsmanship behind all the toys within, to  _feel like a kid_.

Alas, she didn't prance. She merely tugged at her older sister's arm through the place, eyes glowing and turning her head wildly as she took in the neatly organized aisles and rows, looking for her beloved 'bear-shaped children's plaything'. The fact that she was there, that was enough for her. She was content as she was.

"Man, it's been a while since we last came here," Lori chuckled. "Last time, Lana and Lola wouldn't stop dancing around."

"Heh, I see they found common ground for once," Lisa responded. "I would expect them to fight over which toy was to their liking." Her head still turned in every direction while scanning the area.

Lori then led her over to a wall filled with stuffed bears of all shapes and sizes. "Now then, it looks like we're here! Pick one you like!" She motioned towards the toys at that.

Lisa walked through the halls, scanning the rows for her beloved teddy bear. It wasn't long however before a certain stuffed animal on a bottom row caught her attention; it was exactly the bear she had coveted all this time, and she didn't need the magazine page with her to prove it. There it was physically before her, visibly identifiable, and physically tangible. No more were her dreams of holding the cuddly goodness in her arms a fantasy. She picked the bear up and held it, the fur nuzzling her face and brushing softly against her arms.

Squeezing the bear tightly to herself, it triggered a voice-line from within: "I love you!"

It wasn't real. It was artificially designed to play with emotions, and it succeeded with flying colors. She continued holding it within her arms, taking comfort in the squishy stuffed animal. Whether it was real or not didn't matter. Her love for the bear felt real.

As she continued hugging however, the smile on her face was slowly wiped off, and she loosened her grip on the stuffed animal. She glanced up at her older sister with worry in her eyes. "How do I explain myself though? Someone's gonna find this toy in my room, someone may observe my interactions with said toy…" she sighed at that. "I'd have to get it back in the house without arousing suspicion, and we both know how impractical that is in a house of 13. Perhaps leaving this playing behind is for the best…"

Lori squatted down to her height. "Then don't try to explain it. Just be confident in yourself and enjoy it."

Hearing that, Lisa glanced back up at her older sister again, a slight smile creeping back on her face. "You know, despite you lacking in the academics, there are still many things you know that I don't. Perhaps there are things I could learn from you as well."

"Heh, you still have a lot of growing to do," Lori said. "Now, let's go pay for this."

With that, she took her hand and led her to the register to pay for the toy. All the while, Lisa tightly squeezed the bear to herself in one arm, grinning the widest grin she had all day, and not a care for whether her emotions were inane or not. No more would she run away from them, obscure them, or pretend they didn't exist. For the first time, she really felt at peace with who she was.


	7. Chapter 7

The sounds of pages flipping, the scratching of the pencil lead on the paper, and Lily babbling to herself filled the room. Lisa was in her laboratory as usual, putting her finishing touches on her next big experiment.

Eventually, she picked the sheet up and held it in front of her, a glint shining on her glasses and a sinister grin forming on her face. She stuffed the sheet in her back pocket, hopped off the stool, and made her way towards the light switch. There, she hovered her finger over it for a second, glancing in both directions before flipping the switch.

The room went dark, leaving just the faint beacons of light shining through the window blinds, giving just enough for bearing witness to what would soon unfold before her. Lisa was now stifling a laugh, taking her sweet, sweet time pacing over to her closet. Her hands shook as she reached over to pull the wooden door open, revealing all kinds of instruments and items within.

At the bottom of the closet, there was a soft squeaking sound, comparatively audible to the surrounding silence. Lisa crouched down on the floor, where a skinner box containing a white mouse could be seen. It remained frozen in place, head cocked up slightly to acknowledge the human sticking their face directly in front of it. The mutual gaze didn't last long, as she lifted the box up, leaving the rat to run around in circles trapped within.

Lisa placed the skinner box on top of the desk, and watched as the rat continued to run around in an aimless circle. Eventually, the rat slowed down, and returned to standing in its place, gazing up at the human once more.

"Ooh, aren't you a feisty one…" Lisa said. She tapped at the glass case a few times, causing the mouse to jolt back and eliciting a giggle from the child prodigy.

With that, she crouched down and reached into a drawer, rummaging through all sorts of tools and inventions. Out of them, she pulled out a peculiar remote and a plastic container, the latter of which rattled with a metallic tone. She opened it, revealing surgical instruments such as scalpels, scissors, forceps, needles, and vials of anesthetics. Suffice to say, most people looking inside would leave uneasy.

She picked up the remote and pressed a giant red button in the center. The room slowly started glowing, the dimness being illuminated with a greenish hue. Lisa took the syringe and vial of anesthetics out of the container, once again barely containing a laugh as she filled the syringe.

Meanwhile, the mouse remained oblivious, resuming its normal behavior inside the box. Lily watched from a distance as Lisa reached for the remote again and pressed another button.

The room flashed with a whitish yellowish hue now, accompanied by crackling noises thundering throughout. Lisa lifted the lid off the box, and the mouse within froze and cocked its head up at Lisa. She reached her hand inside and lightly stroked the rat's back with her index finger, causing it to relax ever so slightly.

Wrapping her index finger and thumb around the mouse's neck, she held it in place as it squeaked and struggled. Lisa finally hovered the needle above the mouse, where it glistened with a tiny droplet of the anesthetic leaking from the tip. She made no attempt at stifling laughter anymore, now performing a full-blown maniacal cackle as the needle descended, all within the crackling of artificial lightning and an unknowing Lily giggling in the background.

"LISA!"

The sinister grin on her face was wiped off her face as she groaned and pulled her hands out from the box. She reached for the remote and turned off the lightning and green lights, finally turning to face whoever was behind her. There was Lola, eyebrows somewhat furrowed and giving an inquisitive glare.

Lisa let out an exasperated sigh as she rolled her eyes. "What is it that you could possibly want, that could even come close to exceeding the importance of my works?!"

Hearing this, Lola let out an exaggerated gasp. "You're telling me that Lily's second birthday isn't important to you?"

Lisa gasped as well. Of course! How could she forget?!

"Er, right!" she said with a sheepish grin. "What's the itinerary?"

Just as she said that, Lola grabbed Lisa's arm and started pulling it, dragging her out of the room and into the hall. "Come on, everyone's waiting!"

Initially, there was some resistance as Lisa struggled to resist Lola's forceful tug. However, Lisa soon relaxed and cooperated, now walking along at the same pace. Once upon a time, she would have probably scoffed at the notion of celebrating her sister's birthday. Something like 'please, her 'birthday' is no different from any other day in the year, why host inane celebrations for such trivialities?'

Safe to say, those days were long past her, especially after the last time she had celebrated something…

* * *

_"Happy birthday!"_

_The sounds of twelve different confetti poppers exploding were almost miniscule compared to the boisterous cheering from the people gathered around the birthday girl sitting in front of the small table in the living room. On the table, there was a cake, topped with five candles and the chocolatey sweetness wafting through the air._

_"You really didn't have to do this," Lisa said._

_"We didn't have to. We_ wanted to _." Lincoln responded._

 _"Yeah!_ Presenting  _you with this party was a piece of_ cake! _" Luan added._

_For once, the family laughed along with her puns. As lame as they were, they certainly helped in maintaining a light-hearted atmosphere._

_"Now make a wish," Lori encouraged, putting a hand on the birthday girl's shoulders._

_Lisa twisted her head and glanced towards Lori, who radiated with the tenderness and care she always seemed to have. Say what she would about the lack of correlation between so-called 'wishes' and blowing candles, she found it hard to disagree then. What's a bit of whimsy once in a while?_

_So, she scrunched her face up as she thought of one in her head. Not long afterwards, her face brightened, and she positioned herself in front to blow the candle._

'I wish for a future where my vision and my works matter'

_With that, she closed her eyes and blew._

_Upon seeing this, the family immediately burst out with another round of cheering._

_"How does it feel to be 5 now Lis?" Luna asked._

_Lisa glanced left and right as she caught glimpses of some. Many of them were out of her field of vision, but she didn't have to see them to know they were there for her._

_"I suppose normally, I wouldn't feel any different," Lisa started. "But you guys being there, it makes all the difference. It really makes this otherwise meaningless day feel special."_

_"Awwwww!" the family echoed in unison. They all reached in for a massive group hug, and Lisa found herself surrounded and squeezed in all directions._

_What initially began as reluctant compliance however slowly shifted into acceptance, as she relaxed and she let herself be in the center of it all. This wasn't just a group of people concentrating external pressure on her body. This was her family, all collectively joining in on displaying their love and affection towards her and each other._

_That thought put a smile on her face._

* * *

Gone were the days where she would question the point of celebrating birthdays, or spending time with friends, or heck, the idea of having fun in general. If there was anything she had learned in the past year, it was that there was more to life than science and making sense of the world around her.

Soon enough, they found themselves at the entrance of Lori and Leni's room, where Lola reached up to turn the doorknob and opened it. Inside, the rest of the siblings were scattered all around, sitting on beds or on the floor. Most notably however, Leni was standing at the podium where Lori normally would be, holding a slip-on shoe in her hand.

"Okay, I got her," Lola said. She nudged Lisa into the room, who stumbled slightly before regaining her composure and sitting herself down on the floor.

"Lisa! Do you have any ideas for Lily's birthday?" Lincoln greeted her.

"What, you're telling me that you had nine other family members congregated in this room, and still didn't have one?" she asked.

"Well, we've had ideas," Lincoln admitted. "We're just having trouble picking one."

"What do you mean!? What's wrong with the soccer game!?" Lynn piped up.

"That really doesn't sound safe brah," Luna responded.

"You're talking about safety, I'm keeping her safe from Lincoln's dumb science fiction movies!"

"Hey! No one's ever too young to watch Star Wars!" he replied.

"Uhh, guys?"

Lisa turned her head up to the podium, where she saw Leni tapping the shoe against the surface, much too softly for it to be heard by the others. What little sound that motion produced was drowned out by the siblings continuously arguing with each other.

"Guys? Hello?" Leni asked again, tapping the shoe just as softly.

The arguments showed no sign of slowing down.

Suddenly, a large smacking sound could be heard from up ahead. The rest of the room's inhabitants jolted their heads upwards, instantly dropping all their conversations as they directed themselves towards the source. There was Leni, just as wide-eyed as the rest of the crowd, staring at her right hand that had brought the heel down.

"OMGosh! I'm so sorry!" she immediately apologized.

"No, Leni, we're sorry," Lincoln responded. "I guess it's just a little weird seeing you do this." He rubbed the back of his head.

"I know! This shoe was worth like 50 dollars!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe I was so careless!"

"No that's not- never mind," Lincoln said. "So what's the game plan?"

"We're playing a game?" Leni asked. "I thought we were throwing a party?!"

"WE ARE!" The rest of the siblings echoed in unison.

"Oh, okay…" Leni hung her head down. "Sorry, it's just so hard since Lori's not here. She would always know what to do…"

Hearing this, Lisa suppressed a gasp, the only visible expression of concern being her eyes that shot open for a brief second. Suffice to say, Leni attempting to replace Lori was concerning. Not only was she inexperienced by several years, she just wasn't very bright. She seemed to be unable to remember the task at hand, let alone focus for extended periods of time. Did Leni have what it takes to lead the group?

"Well anyways, today's Lily's second birthday! Yay!" Leni cheered. "We have got to make this super perf! We need chocolate cake because that's her favorite, purple balloons and decorations to match her blankie…" Leni listed those items off with the fingers on her left hand.

"Woah slow down dude, you're going too fast!" Luna said.

"OMGosh!" Leni gasped. "I know the perfect birthday present for her! Don't worry guys, I got this!" She immediately jumped off the podium and ran towards the door. Just as she reached for the door however, Lola grabbed her arm and pulled her back inside.

"Oh, you're not running off by yourself Leni! We're not gonna let you ruin Lily's special day!" She screamed.

"What?" Leni asked, raising an eyebrow.

The rest of the siblings gave Lola death glares, who sheepishly grinned and pushed Leni back towards the podium. "Uh, don't you think we'd also wanna help make our sister's day?"

Leni perked up at that. "Oh! Good idea! Uh…" she raised a finger to her chin and hummed to herself. "How do I do that?"

"Okay, so you know those things that you were about to go do yourself just now?" Lincoln asked. "Why don't you list them out?"

"Well, we need to bake the chocolate cake, get purple balloons, decorations, Lily loves confetti-"

"Great!" Lincoln interrupted her. "Now you just pick which one of us has to do what!"

"But how?" Leni threw her hands out in front for emphasis.

"Okay, let's start small," Lincoln said. "Who do you think would be the best at baking the cake?"

Leni put a finger up to her chin and hummed to herself. The rest of the siblings patiently waited in their spots, awaiting an answer. A few seconds became several however, with still no response from her.

"Well," Luan glanced her eyes downwards, "I think I can help with that!" She lifted her head and acknowledged the rest of the room. "I make pies all the time, this is a piece of cake!" she giggled to herself.

"Oh, but I wanted to bake the cake…" Leni moped.

"Well, maybe you can help me," Luan suggested. "I'll probably want some help anyway."

"Totes!" Leni chirped.

"What else?" Lincoln asked.

"We have to buy balloons, decorations, confetti…" Her voice trailed off as a frown formed on her face. "Aw, but I wanted to go to the mall!" she pouted.

"I'm afraid it's impossible for you to be simultaneously present in multiple locations at once without external assistance," Lisa said, adjusting her glasses. "You will have to pick one."

"Okay, I'll stay home…" she sighed in defeat.

This just wouldn't do, Lisa thought to herself. Leni was certainly enthusiastic, which was an admirable trait in itself. In the real world however, enthusiasm by itself just didn't cut it. Leni was a proverbial ticking time bomb, riddled with extraneous errors and lapses in judgment. Being the next oldest in line, she had a difficult role to fill as a replacement for Lori. However, Lisa couldn't just watch her sister rise to the occasion, only to fail miserably with her shortcomings.

"If I may intervene with a suggestion of my own," she started, standing up from her spot, "I believe it imperative that we maintain an account of our cash expenditure. Ergo, I volunteer to be on budgeting duty."

"What's that?" Leni asked.

"I'll keep track of the money we spend."

"Uh, okay," Leni said. "So, the decorations, I won't get to put them up?" she asked.

"Maybe you can help a little bit," Lincoln reassured her. "You just have to make sure this party's going as planned."

The corner of Leni's lips curved up slightly. "Totes!" She chirped.

"So far, we have Luan on baking duty, who do we send to the mall?" Lincoln asked.

"I can get Chunk to hook me up with a ride!" Luna volunteered.

"Anything else?"

"What do you think Lily's birthday present should be?" Lana asked.

"Shh!" Leni put an index finger up to her mouth. "It's a surprise!"

"We can't buy it if you won't tell us," Lucy reminded her.

"Don't worry, I'm making it!" Leni said.

"Okay, that's nice and all, but what about the rest of us!? What do we do!?" Lola asked.

"Uh…" Leni glanced downwards and away from the crowd, scrunching her face up as she tapped a finger on the podium. "I don't know, you guys go with Luna, and you guys go with Luan!" She waved her arms at each half of the room.

The siblings exchanged glances at each other, with not a word between them. Each of their faces were neutral on the surface, but they were all just a façade. Their eyes said it all; they were all nervous. Could they pull this operation off? Did Leni know what she was doing?

"Well… I think we have a plan!" Lynn finally said.

The doubt in each of the siblings' faces slowly dissipated one by one, heads starting to nod and murmurs of agreement resonating through the room.

"Now who's ready to knock this party out of the park!?" Lynn cheered, raising a fist in the air.

The rest of the room raised a fist and cheered along with her, filling the room with a lively atmosphere fitting for the upcoming event. Despite their disagreements, they all had a common goal to make Lily's second birthday party awesome, and they would see it through to the very end. Lisa was amongst those raising their fists, albeit with no emotion put into it, nor with any visible on her face. She constantly kept an eye on Leni, making note of every word spoken and watching over her every move.

Try as she would, the ever so slight worry never left her mind.

* * *

Lisa currently found herself in the dining room staring down a piece of paper, tapping a pencil to her cheek with one hand while leaning her head on the other. In the kitchen nearby, Luan and Lola could be heard conversing with each other, but they were just barely audible compared to the mixer that whirred within.

To her right, there was a smartphone supported by a stand and tilted where she could easily take a glance. These glances were numerous however, considering the person that was depicted in the video. Lisa had set up cameras all throughout the house a few years ago, and she was using the one in Leni's room to watch over her every move. So far, nothing of note had happened, just her older sister working away at a sewing machine as she always did. It certainly didn't hurt to keep an eye on her though, there was no telling just what she had in store.

_Ding dong!_

Ah, the doorbell! Lisa stuffed the phone in her pocket, grabbing her paper and pencil before getting up from her seat. She walked over to the door and opened it, where 4 other children could be seen standing outside holding boxes.

"Thanks Lis," Luna said as she walked in. Lincoln, Lynn and Lana followed not far behind, a few grunts along the way as they set the boxes down in front of the door.

"I'll need the receipts as a record of our expenditures," Lisa asked. She put her hand out in front and beckoned with her index finger.

Luna promptly reached into her pocket and pulled out a set of receipts, dropping them into Lisa's hand before joining the others in unpacking the boxes.

Meanwhile, Lisa took out her notepad and started scratching out numbers with her pencil. A few quick calculations, and she was done in a matter of seconds. They were several dollars over budget, but since when was being a Loud cheap?

Lisa turned her head up, only to see her siblings still working on unpacking the goods. Party hats, balloons, confetti, party poppers, banners, all fun in their own right.

Now, to check on how Leni was doing. She took out her phone from her pocket and swiped at the screen to view her security camera footage.

Strange… Leni was nowhere to be seen. Just a minute ago, she was working away at the sewing machine!

"Thanks Leni!"

Almost as if on cue, Luan left the dining room, waving at a certain someone behind her. Lucy and Lola left as well, cutting in front and hurrying towards the boxes. The trio soon joined the others in unpacking at the living room.

As much as she would have loved to join in, the kitchen kept calling for her to take action. Someone had to watch over her, there was no telling what she was capable of when left all alone in there. Did Leni even know how to bake? Lisa wasn't sure, but thinking about it, the potential to injure oneself with carelessness was too high to ignore.

So, she took one last longing glance at her siblings in the living room before slowly pacing her way towards the dining room, making a left and entering the kitchen. The mixer became louder as she got closer, and she caught a timer on the corner of her eye, slowly ticking down and approaching zero. Glancing to the far left of the counter, Lisa winced as she saw Leni pulling a large glass platter from out of the cabinet. The wince subsided and a short breath of relief escaped her however as Leni safely placed the platter down without shattering anything.

Shaking her head and wiping proverbial sweat off her forehead, she quickly returned to her neutral composure and approached her older sister. "Greetings second eldest sibling!" she started.

"Oh, hi Lisa!" Leni greeted back. "Isn't this exciting? Making this party happen is super fun!"

"Yes, I concur," Lisa dismissed with a wave of her hand. "What happened to your sewing endeavors? Weren't you supposed to construct a present for the imminent second anniversary celebration?"

"Oh, I took care of that already!" she reached over to one side of the counter and grabbed a box with a ribbon on top. Upon opening it, Leni revealed a lavender blanket, folded up neatly and fitting snugly into the box.

Lisa squinted her eyes as she reached inside and held the blanket up to inspect it. Scanning her eyes across the soft fabric surface however, the imperfections were all but nonexistent. It was a faithful replication of Lily's blanket that she lovingly clung to for most of her life. To deny the meticulous craftsmanship of this beauty would be a proverbial crime. In fact, Lisa didn't think she would mind if she slept with it once in a while…

"This is constructed well," she said, stuffing it back into the box. "I still have to wonder why you are situated in the kitchen at this state in time."

"Oh, Luan told me to stop the mixy thingy. I can't remember when though." She put a finger up to her chin and stared off into the distance.

"Hey Leni!" Lincoln dashed into the kitchen. "We're working on the decorations, and I don't think we're doing a bad job, but I thought you'd be able to give second thoughts."

"Totes!" Leni and Lincoln dashed out of the kitchen and disappeared into the living room. Lisa followed shortly after, albeit with a certain tact to her pace.

In the living room, there were several children still unpacking and working on the decorations. Lynn served as a stepping stool for Lucy putting up lavender banners on the stairs, while Lana and Lola worked on inflating the balloons. Luna sat on the couch tuning her acoustic guitar, while Luan practiced a routine with Mr. Coconuts on her hand. All the while, Leni inspected the room, looking for aesthetic flaws and pointing them out with her finger.

"No, no, no!" Leni exclaimed as she ran up to Lucy. "The balloons and banners have to match! Lavender is Lily's color!"

"Sigh…" Lucy started taking the banners down without another word.

"Yea, one problem with that," Lana started. "We actually bought a rainbow set, I don't think there's enough purple balloons to go around!"

"Hmm," Leni hummed to herself. Within a matter of seconds, her eyes perked up and a massive grin formed on her face. "Be right back guys!" she yelled, disappearing up the stairs.

There she went with her fleeting mind again. Couldn't keep herself focused for more than a few seconds. Luan tasked her with turning the mixer off at the right time, and she wasn't even there to do it!

It was at that moment that the distant sounds of the mixer in the kitchen started ringing in her ears, standing out in the symphony of ambient noise and her siblings' playful banter. Lisa gasped as she immediately dashed back through the dining room and made a left towards the whirring machine.

There, she immediately reached for the plug and pulled out from the outlet. The obnoxiously loud whirring started slowing down, soon coming to a complete stop in a matter of seconds. Lisa pulled up a stool from nearby, climbing up to stand on it with a grimace on her face as she readied herself to look in the metal bowl.

Alas, the damage had already been done. The milk fats had conjoined and they were separated from the rest of the cream, creating an unsightly chunky composition known by its street name: butter. Being left in the mixer for too long however, most would probably simplify even further and call that concoction 'a mess'. Seeing this, Lisa balled her fist and shook it in the air.  _That ditzy fashionista! You had one job!_

She jumped off the stool and dashed out of the kitchen, through the dining room and back where the siblings continued to decorate. Just as she arrived, Leni came prancing down the stairs, holding banners of all different colors and twirling towards the middle of the room.

"Hey guys, I went into the attic and found the banners we used for all of our birthdays, we can make a rainbow set! Yay!" She cheered.

"I'd hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we may be a while before any festivities are to be celebrated," Lisa said.

Leni clutched the banners tightly to herself as the smile on her face disappeared and worry pooled in her eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I believe you were responsible for stopping the mixer in time for optimal cake frosting conditions," Lisa answered. "Alas, you failed to do so, and the contents of said mixer have turned to butter. Technically edible, but a delectable sugary cream it is not."

"Aw, Leni…" Luan moaned.

"Oh…" Leni hung her head down as she dropped herself down on the couch and slumped her shoulders, still clutching the decorations tightly to herself. "I'm really sorry, I was just so excited and really wanted this party to be perfect!"

Lisa merely stood and watched with crossed arms as she watched the scene unfold before her.

"It's okay Leni, we all make mistakes!" Lincoln reassured her.

"Yeah!" Luan added. "Why don't we try this again together?" she offered.

"Awww, thanks guys," Leni said.

With that, Luan and Leni both went off to the kitchen. All the while, Lisa watched, stroking her chin and squinting her eyes. As much as she loved Leni, she couldn't help but worry. Lisa loved her just as much as her other siblings, but if her behavior continued the way she was, that wouldn't bode well for her future. Things were all fine and dandy when her siblings were there to support her, but there was no telling how she would do once she had no one to fall back on.

"What's this?"

The siblings all paused their activities and turned towards the voice at the stairs. There, a toddler stood, staring back down at the scene below with curious eyes. She wore a lavender skirt to match the blanket that she slung over her shoulder with one hand, tattered and worn with time. In her other hand, she clutched a brown teddy bear that was also aging, with a few buttons missing and a bit of filling poking out from the side.

"Uh, hey Lily!" Lincoln greeted her. "You weren't supposed to see this yet." He chuckled with a nervous undertone.

A massive grin slowly formed on Lily's face as she ran downstairs squealing, reaching in for a massive group hug that the other siblings reciprocated.

Lisa joined in on the hug as well, and the corner of her lips curved up slightly as she couldn't help but mirror the positivity emanating from the group. There was always time to worry later. For now, this was a time to share memories and celebrate. She wouldn't trade it for the world.


	8. Chapter 8

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Slowly, Lisa's eyes opened as she heard a high pitch voice from behind, feeling herself getting ruffled on her side.

"Wha-whaa?"

Suddenly, she felt her blanket getting pulled off her body. She instinctively curled up in response, denied of the warm comfort and exposing her body to the comparatively chilly air.

"Rise and shine!"

Lisa groaned as she rose from the bed, rubbing her eyes and taking a glance to her right, where Leni's smile glowed right back at her.

"I see you're wide awake," Lisa commented.

"Duh, you're gonna be late for school!" Leni chirped.

That did the trick. Lisa gasped as she jumped out of her bed in record time, grabbing her glasses and her phone before pushing Leni out of the way and making a run for the hallway.

As she ran towards the other end, she saw her other siblings lined up for the bathroom in various states of consciousness. Some yawned, some rubbed their eyes, some even practically slept in line. Lisa ended up last in line standing behind Lola, whose head bobbed up and down as she struggled to keep herself awake.

"Must… have… beauty… sleep…" she muttered.

Lisa raised her finger and opened her mouth, but quickly closed it and lowered her hand. As much as Lola could benefit from a lecture about maintaining a proper sleep cycle, it wasn't like Lisa was scot-free either. She stayed up late at night working on another project of hers, immersed by the intricacies, and enamored by the future prospects that project could hold. She was fallible, and to criticize Lola would have been hypocrisy at its finest.

"Ugh, first day of school blows!" Lynn groaned as she lined up behind Lisa.

"Mmm, debatable," Lisa commented. "While I had my fair share of entertainment from the summer, obtaining an education is just as, if not more important."

"Is it important for you to be a total lame-ass?" Lynn retorted.

"I prefer to think of myself as a realist," Lisa said, adjusting her glasses.

"Man, why do they have to start school so early in the week?" Lana complained as she got in line.

"Those dudes that run the place are a bunch of old fogeys," Luna said.

"Yeah, but do they really have to start on Monday?" Luan wondered. "Sounds super mundane if you ask me."

Just then, the toilet flushed in the bathroom, and Lucy walked out, looking as deathly pale and expressionless as ever. "What are you guys doing up so early?" she asked.

"Duh, the same thing you're doing, getting ready for school!" Lynn answered, rolling her eyes.

"That's not what I did," she responded. "I went out at 3:00 AM to mourn the lost tormented souls trapped in the eternal darkness of the graveyard."

"I heard that!" Lynn Sr's voice echoed from downstairs.

"Why are you out so early on the first day of school?" Lincoln asked.

"First day of school isn't until tomorrow," she responded.

Lincoln raised an eyebrow at that. "You know today's Monday, right?"

Lucy remained unmoved, continuing to stand in front of the bathroom door. "Yeah, first day of school isn't until Tuesday."

"Wait, I thought today was Tuesday!" Lynn exclaimed.

"What day is anything?" Lola grumbled.

"I believe I have a conclusive answer," Lisa said. "Several months prior, I loaded a reminder on my phone so I would have yet another mechanism to awaken from my slumber for the undeservedly dreaded occasion."

"Of course Lisa did," Lynn muttered.

Ignoring that, Lisa dug her phone of her pocket, glancing at the screen before flipping it and showing the display to her siblings. "As you can see here, today is Monday, September 3rd. You may also notice the lack of any notifications regarding commencement of public education. Now to verify the whereabouts of said notification…"

Lisa swiped through her phone, opening the reminders app and tapping the first item on the list before showing the group again. "The reminder has been set for Tuesday, September 4th. In other words, Lucy is correct. School isn't for another day."

"Told you so," Lucy said.

"Wait, but isn't it weird that we  _all_  woke up early for school?" Lincoln wondered.

"Yeah, Leni woke me up saying I was gonna be late!" Lana said.

"Did she wake all of us up!?" Lola growled.

The room was filled with murmurs of agreement and kids collectively nodding their heads.

"Dudes! Leni got the first day of school wrong!" Luna exclaimed.

Lisa facepalmed at that. Of course that was something Leni would mess up. How foolish of her to blindly trust that girl!

"Hey guys!"

The siblings waiting in line collectively turned their heads to see Leni prancing up the stairs, humming a merry tune to herself and sporting the widest grin of them all.

"Leni, you woke us up too early!" Luan said while throwing her hands up in the air.

"Yeah, I didn't want you guys to be late for school!" she chirped.

"Late for what!? You robbed me of three hours of beauty sleep!" Lola screamed.

Lincoln giggled with a nervous undertone before covering Lola's mouth and pushing her back slightly. "Heh, I think what she meant to say was that you didn't have to wake us up today. School doesn't start until tomorrow."

"But I thought today was Monday!" Leni responded.

"Yeah, school starts on Tuesday," Lincoln asserted.

Leni put a finger on her chin and stared off into the distance. "We don't have school on Monday anymore?"

"No- Leni, we do have schools on Mondays, just not this Monday," Lincoln said, glancing to the side.

"Oh…" Leni hung her head down with a downcast expression. "Sorry about that…"

Seeing this, Lisa shook her head as she broke away from the crowd and trudged her way back to the laboratory. The people Leni woke weren't at fault, considering that the irrational behavior was induced by a state of panic. This misunderstanding was entirely on Leni. Truly, it was understandable how Leni could make the mistake she did, and it would be forgivable as an occasional mishap. However, this was a frequent occurrence. Leni was someone riddled with mistakes and mental missteps. For now, she could live in the comfort of a family that wouldn't judge, but it was only a matter of time before real life mercilessly caught up to her.

With that, she found herself in front of the entrance, reaching in for the doorknob and opening it.

"Lisa!"

Hearing this, Lisa turned to the bottom left corner of the room, where her lone younger sister sat in a lavender bed. She clutched two blankies within her arms now to match the bed, one from her infancy and one from the birthday last week. There she sat, yawning and rubbing her eyes while gazing back at the entrance.

"You're starting school?" Lily asked.

"False alarm," Lisa muttered, walking past the bed and towards her desk.

The desk was for the most part a 'total mess'. Equations were written on the wall and the surface, papers were strewn everywhere, several books lay open stacked on top of each other. On the bottom left however, there was an area cleared, just above the open drawer. A few bags filled with powders were scattered across that small area, with a bag of empty capsules nearby.

Lisa reached for a stack of papers, rummaging through the piles until she found a blue page and pulled it out. There, she gripped it tightly in her hands until the edges she held wrinkled under pressure. The paper was translucent and the other side was somewhat visible, where the entire half was riddled with scribbles, crossed out text, and smudged ink. On top of the page was the text "Mental Acuity Enhancement,", written in giant bold letters and underlined three times. Below, there were the various details involved, such as the chemicals required, dosages, and an image of the capsule itself.

Normally, Lisa would have slept early as any responsible being should do. However, her experiments called for her to work late more often than she would have liked to admit. This wasn't just any experiment either. This was a project that would be a benefit to not only Leni, but to the rest of her family as well. Ever since Lori went off to college, Leni had trouble taking her place. She lacked basic life skills such as learning to drive, she had trouble focusing on just about any mundane task, she was gullible, and she couldn't keep her facts straight.

If there was ever a reason to stay up late, this was it. In the name of science, and a desire to see others succeed, just as she has. Leni just wasn't very bright, and that didn't bode well for her future. If saving her older sister from certain failure wasn't important, then what was?

So, she gathered the powder and bags, stuffing them into her drawer. She closed the books spread all across the desks and stacked the papers into a pile, pushing them off to the side in some arbitrary direction. Finally, she picked up the pills, cupping them in her palm, and pinching one up with her thumb and index finger. Held up to her face, she marveled at the capsule and just what it held within. On the surface, it was merely a red and blue pill. Beneath the surface however, it was encapsulated with the concoction of active and inactive ingredients carefully engineered for maximum brain efficiency. Truly a marvel of pharmacological engineering!

"What is that?"

Hearing this, Lisa groaned. She turned around to face her roommate that had broken up her immersive marvel. There Lily stood, hoisting the lavender blankie over her shoulder, gazing up at Lisa with curious eyes.

"It's uh, it's nothing!" Lisa quickly stuffed the pill in her pocket before putting both her hands behind her back with a sheepish grin.

Lily scrunched her face up and crossed her arms upon hearing those words. "You're lying," she said.

Welp, worth a shot. Lisa crouched down to Lily, glancing at the door before putting a hand on her shoulder. "Okay, fine," she whispered. "I'm giving Leni a pill that'll make her more intelligent, so to speak."

"I don't like that thing," Lily said. She cringed and leaned back slightly at that, putting a hand out in front of her.

The way Lily recoiled, that wasn't new to Lisa. Just about everyone she had tried to test unknown substances on would have a similar reaction. Granted, while Lisa may have been desensitized to the expressed fears, she wasn't completely immune. There was always something unsettling about that reaction, constantly nagging at the back of her mind. The ends can justify the means, but that didn't make things any less ugly. If something as scary as vaccines could bring a social good to the world, then these pills surely followed a similar logic. In times like these, the best way to proceed was to push the thought aside, let it die in the past for a better future.

So, Lisa just shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Yes, now please hush about this won't you?" she pleaded. "I'll give you a sucker afterward!"

"What about Leni?" Lily asked.

Lisa stood up and started stroking her chin. Lily had a point. Leni may have been gullible, but even she wouldn't ingest unknown pills on a whim, that stopped working years ago. Even if Leni was receptive to an honest explanation, her siblings would probably block those attempts, like they had several times in the past. There was a strange stigma against scientific progress and technological innovation amongst the family in some circumstances, and pills were a common subject of disapproval. There had to be another way.

"You make a good point, Lily. I underestimate you sometimes," Lisa responded. She reached down to pat her sister on her head. Lily's face loosened and was replaced with a triumphant smirk, putting her hands on her hips to accompany that.

"Now go get dressed, will you?" Lisa said. With that, she walked out the door with a sinister grin forming on her face. Indeed, Lily wasn't to be underestimated. One mental misstep, and the whole operation would have failed! Her siblings couldn't know about the pill, it was for Leni, and Leni only!

She tilted her head downwards as she walked down the stairs with a glint shining on her glasses. Leni didn't even have to know the pill existed! Her meal would be spiked, subtly deceptive, yet thoroughly effective! What a perfect opportunity with the onset of breakfast, perhaps this early awakening wouldn't be for naught! Her siblings might not understand now, perhaps they'd  _never_  understand. But what intellectual dishonesty it would be to not appreciate the efforts, what potential for a greater future!

Finally, she arrived at the bottom of the stairs. The first thing she noticed was the smell. Usually, there wasn't a smell to speak of. Today, the warm smells of the sweet batter filled her nose. What more, she heard her siblings causing a commotion in the dining room. At least, that's what it sounded like at first. As Lisa walked into the dining room, she saw her siblings, but they weren't arguing, nor were they wordlessly proceeding with the morning routine. Today, they laughed instead.

"Oh hey, Lis!" Lincoln said. "Go get your breakfast in the kitchen!"

"I've successfully maintained homeostasis for over 5 years, Lincoln, I would hope you of all people trust my ability to independently prepare my own consumable goods." Lisa walked into the dining room at that.

Immediately upon entering, her eyes widened, and her jaws dropped.

There was Leni at the counter, dropping blueberries on whipped cream that covered a piece of French toast lying on the plate, thick with all the maple syrup it absorbed. Off to the side, there was a bowl of batter, a waffle maker, a jug of syrup, a can of whipped cream, neatly organized in a line.

"Uhm…" Lisa cleared her throat. "Leni! What a pleasant surprise!" she greeted her.

"Lisa! You're finally here!" Leni squealed, shaking her hands in front of her chest excitedly. "I was kinda worried you didn't like my food!"

"What- I didn't even know you were making food!" Lisa fumbled with her words.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Leni picked up the plate and handed it down to her, warmth radiating from her smile.

Lisa stood in place, frozen for a few seconds. All she could do was put her hands out in front to accept the food, where Leni placed it within. Suffice it to say, Lisa didn't expect this at all. She didn't even think Leni was capable! The last time she tried to cook, she couldn't even keep her eyes on the mixer!

Alas, Leni gave her the food before returning to the counter and mixing the batter again. Why was Leni doing any of this!? How was she doing any of this!? Hundreds of thoughts swirled Lisa's mind just gazing up at her older sister alone. A hundred more followed as Lisa turned around and gazed at the plate down below. The smell was sublime, the aesthetics were perfect, the mere sight causing her to salivate out of control. Could this really be? Was it all a dream? Would the French toast taste as good as it looked?

Lost in thought, Lisa slowly paced back to the dining room, where her siblings sat all around. She glanced up at the first empty seat she saw, slotting herself inside. The voices around her were but mere muffles at this point, as Lisa continued to stare at the food below. They were pleasant muffles though. She could just barely make out the sounds of them laughing and having a good time.

"Hey!"

Lisa felt a light tap on her right shoulder, snapping her back into reality. She turned her head to see none other than her brother Lincoln.

"Aren't you gonna have your French toast?" he asked.

"I'll swipe it off ya if you're not hungry!" Lynn added.

"Nono! I'm famished!" Lisa patted her stomach a few times for emphasis.

She didn't realize just how hungry she was really, until her stomach growled with disapproval. This could be explained by an empty stomach and the subsequent release of the ghrelin hormone, but that wasn't important right now. What was important was the most tantalizingly scrumptious French toast she had ever laid eyes on, sitting there just begging to be eaten. She immediately grabbed a fork to the right and sliced a corner off the edge, where it oozed with the syrupy goodness within.

With that, she finally popped the piece into her mouth.

The fluff of the toast, the spice of the cinnamon, the thickness of the syrup and the airiness of the cream, they all came together to produce a symphony of sublimity on Lisa's taste buds. If chocolate elevated her serotonin levels, this breakfast pushed those levels beyond what was measurable, even comprehensible. No need for overly complicated or technical descriptions; in times like these, she was content with a simple declaration that this breakfast tasted amazing.

Another bite followed that, then two more. Several others followed, as she scarfed the food down in record time. Who could resist the deliciousness before her? What kind of willpower did someone need to take their time, to torture themselves with pretenses of making the meal last?

It wasn't long before the meal disappeared, now just a pleasant memory. Five minutes spent eating felt like five seconds. Lisa leaned back in her chair, rubbing her stomach and licking her lips, with a grain of satisfaction to accompany it all.

"How's the food guys?" Leni asked as she walked into the dining room.

"That was amazing! Where'd you learn to do that?" Lincoln asked.

"My friend Jackie taught me!" Leni chirped. "It's kinda like sewing, putting the parts together."

"I still wish I had all my beauty sleep," Lola grumbled.

"Why waffle between the choices?" Luan said, poking Lola's shoulder. "I'm always bready for Leni's breakfast!" she giggled to herself at that.

"Yay!" Leni cheered, giddily shaking her fists. "I'm so glad you guys liked it!"

"Yeah, you might have woken us early, but we know it's because you care about us!" Lincoln said.

"Oh, totes!" Leni said.

With that, all the siblings stood up from their seats, giving their thanks before leaving the dining room and making their way up the stairs. The group chattered amongst themselves, continuing to praise Leni, her cooking skills, and her goodwill towards the family. What an amazing cook Leni was! What a fun time that was! Sure, school tomorrow stung, but the sweetness of the meal and gesture surely softened the blow for what was to come. Wouldn't trade it for the world!

The group finally arrived at the top of the stairs, where they went towards their individual rooms. Lisa walked to her part of the lab as well, humming pleasant tunes to herself before arriving and instinctively walking up to her desk, her beloved papers and books awaiting her.

"You never gave her the pill."

Lisa gasped and her heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned around at that to see none other than Lily, standing behind her with curious eyes.

"What-but uh…" Lisa fumbled with her words as she dug into her pocket, producing the red and blue capsule that she had stuffed in there earlier. There, she stared dumbfounded by the fact that it was still there, visible in her hand. Thwarted by the most amazing breakfast she had ever eaten, not once did the thought of giving the pill cross her mind! How ironic that even in an effort to curb someone else's mental missteps, she herself wasn't free of them!

"I know you won't do it," Lily said.

Surprisingly, Lisa wasn't sure anymore. Say what she would about Leni's mistakes, some truly remarkable things had come from them too. Everything she did came from a good place, and good did come from it. Just before, Leni had trouble organizing Lily's birthday party, seemingly unable to divide tasks and focus for longer than a few seconds. Yet, despite these struggles, she was able to construct a perfect replica of Lily's lavender blanket in a matter of minutes for her birthday! Even just now, she couldn't keep track of dates, yet she pulled off a morning feast of the most amazing French toast all on her own! By the end of today's breakfast, most people didn't seem to mind having been woken early. They were praising her for what she did, and what deserved praise it was!

Leni was happy, her siblings were happy, they were all so loving and accepting of each other. What would happen if she gave the pill to Leni? Would she still be the same person? At first, Lisa was sure she would be, but now, she wasn't as certain. Some part of her was scared of losing part of her older sister she already knew and loved.

With that, Lisa sighed as squeezed her eyes shut and formed a fist with the hand that held the pills, applying pressure until the capsule broke, covering her hands with a white powdery mess. The Mental Acuity Enhancement pill was now but a memory, rubbed off her hands and scattered all over the floor.

"You're right," she admitted. "I wasn't gonna do it. I just didn't know until now."


	9. Chapter 9

"7, 12, 4, 9, 5, 7, 1, 3, 17, 6. Done!"

In record time, Lisa zoomed through her math sheet given to her in class. They were merely a set of simple addition and subtraction problems, embarrassingly easy for anyone of her caliber. There wasn't even any calculation to be done! Single digit mathematics, just a matter of memorization. The results to every possible combination had to be proverbially glued onto her eyes. The only limitations were the speed of her own mind and her fine motor skills. As far as she knew, if she could think it, she could certainly do it!

So, she picked up the sheet as she stood up and marched on over to her teacher who was sitting at her desk, resting a head on her hand while playing on her phone with the other.

"A valiant effort at challenging the human intellect Ms. Parm, though you'll have to try harder to break me," Lisa said as she slid the paper onto her desk.

Hearing this, Ms. Parm rubbed her eyes, shook her head, and dragged the paper right side up so she could see it. She immediately grabbed a red pen from a nearby canister, uncapped it, and wrote a giant 100 on the page before passing it back. "Remind me why you're in grade school again?" she sighed.

"I am of the appropriate age, am I not?" Lisa responded.

"Go back to your seat," Ms. Parm said.

Lisa did so, marching back on to her seat with a smile plastered onto her face. Indeed, that math sheet was ridiculously easy for anyone of her caliber. If there was any hope of her learning anything new in the academics here, then that was but a delusion. However, if there was something she had come to realize over time, elementary school wasn't just about the primitive mathematics or learning basic grammatical structures.

As she arrived at her table, she pulled out a seat and sat herself down, putting her left elbow on the table and resting her head on her hand. To the right of her, there was Darcy Helmendollar, a girl that had endeared herself to Lisa last year. Perhaps there wasn't much to learn academically, but there was much to be experienced. Making friends, having good times, and an understanding of one's own humanity. These were things that could only be learned in grade-school, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Okay kids, time's up!" Ms. Parm announced. "Put your pencils in the baskets and worksheets in the middle of the table!"

The kids did as they were told, and the room was filled with sounds of clattering markers and shuffling papers. Several conversations accompanied those noises, whether they be about a cartoon they saw last night, a new toy they wanted, or whatever else was appropriate for their age.

"That math sheet was hard!" Darcy said as she tossed hers in the middle. "You make it seem so easy!"

For you maybe, Lisa wanted to say. She knew better than that though. "Well, I suppose it's a skill you'll develop over time," she responded.

"That's okay! The next class seems pretty fun!" Darcy chirped.

"What next class?"

"Line up children!" Ms. Parm commanded. "We're going to the art room!"

The art room? Didn't they already do enough of that in here? Last she remembered, they were free to pursue any artistic endeavors in the allocated recreational time slots, be it recess, or break time. Why were they now getting a subject dedicated to that?

"I'm glad you're all excited, but we can't go unless you're all quiet!" Ms. Parm continued.

All the children including Darcy ran up towards the door, where their teacher stood waiting. They lined up into two rows, where they turned towards each other and continued their constant chatter. Reluctantly, Lisa stood up from her seat and slowly paced towards the line as well, finding herself at dead last. While the children ahead whispered to each other, Lisa put a metaphorical distance between herself and the group. Her expression contrasted from the children up ahead, as she squinted, stroked her chin, and found herself lost in deep thought. The door to the front opened, and they marched out, a collection of footsteps audible as they trekked through the hallway.

Based on her past experiences and impressions, Lisa wasn't a fan of art. It was a popular activity amongst the students when given the opportunity, but it was always optional. Other than drawing, there were always more preferable activities, whether they be playing out in the yard or continuing with her in-class scientific studies. Franky, scribbling patterns and making egregiously incoherent interpretations of whatever they were trying to draw wasn't her idea of a productive use of time.

Alas, they finally stopped in line. Lisa couldn't see, but she heard a door open ahead, and the line started moving shortly after, eventually ending up in the room. Inside, there was a teacher waiting for them, wearing an apron and a smile seeping with genuine enthusiasm.

"Hello hello hello!" she greeted the children with open arms. "Welcome to art class! Are you all excited?"

While the rest of the children cheered with excitement, Lisa couldn't help but stare all around. The walls were plastered with all kinds of arts and crafts, whether they be simple drawings or constructions made from popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and glitter. There were shelves lined with papier-mâchés, origami, and clay sculptures. There were several easels to the right, accompanied with tubes of glue, paint palettes, and brushes on the racks. To the left were tables, where baskets of markers, colored pencils and crayons lay on top. Suffice it to say, the investment put into this art room was impressive.

"Now, sit yourself down at the table and we can all start!"

The children did as they were told, with several chairs were simultaneously pulled out and kids sitting themselves down around the table. Lisa was quick to seize an opportunity to sit in an empty seat next to Darcy, running up and lightly pushing another one away to do so.

"How are you all doing today?" the teacher asked.

The kids responded with variants of "I'm good" or "Fine", as was expected of that cookie-cutter ice breaker. Not Lisa. She wasn't sure.

"My name is Ms. Ortega, and I'll be your art teacher for the rest of the year!" she said. "Who's excited?"

"Me!" all the kids shouted in unison. All except Lisa.

"That's the spirit!" Ms. Ortega said. "Take a look at the room around you. Look at all these amazing projects!"

The students turned their heads wildly as they took note of what she said.

"These were made by students, just like you!" Ms. Ortega continued. "We're gonna do all kinds of fun projects, maybe one day your work can be up there too!"

What an honor, Lisa thought as she rolled her eyes.

"We don't have anything planned today, but that's okay!" Ms. Ortega said, radiating with passion. "Papers and baskets in the middle, you kids just enjoy yourself and draw to your heart's content!"

Immediately, kids reached towards the middle of the table, with crayons, pencils, and markers all clattering against each other. Ms. Ortega dropped a stack of papers in the middle, and the children wasted no time grabbing for those as well. Soon, just about everyone in the room got to work with whatever creative endeavors they had planned in their minds.

Meanwhile, Lisa maintained her neutral expression, mentally rolling her eyes at what she was about to do. "Should be easy," she muttered to herself. It stands to reason, if they could do it, then she could too. With that in mind, she reached in for the basket as well.

She waded her hands through the numerous utensils within, brushing hands with several other kids while she occasionally gripped handfuls of markers out. There were a lot of them. Some were about as thin as any regular utensil, while others were noticeably thicker. They were all smooth and cylindrical, abandoning the hexagonal form she was used to from the tried-and-true pencil.

At this point, the other children no longer had hands in the basket, and Lisa pulled it closer to herself. She gazed into the basket as she continued rummaging through, never actually taking anything out.

Gosh, there were so many of them. Where to even start?

For the first time, she really noticed the diversity in colors that made up the contents of the basket. Of course there were an assortment of colors, but it was one thing just knowing there were different colors. It was another thing to be presented with a whole myriad of them, and being told to pick one out of so many other possibilities.

Lisa turned her head upwards, surveying the classmates that sat with her at the table. They were already at work, outputting content onto their blank canvases and quickly filling them with all kinds of objects, shapes, patterns, anything at all!

Beads of sweat started forming on Lisa's forehead as she saw these children continue to work. They clearly had a vision, a sense of direction with what they were doing. Just how did they do it? How did these 5-year-olds of average intelligence somehow have the mental capacity to just know what to do? What were they basing their thought processes on? What were they-

"Lisa? Can you pass me the basket?"

Hearing this, she turned to the left where her friend Darcy sat, awaiting a response with a carefree smile.

"Uh, just a moment!" Lisa wiped the sweat from her forehead and returned to rummaging through the box, almost literally scraping the bottom of the barrel for any kind of reason to grasp at. A hint, a helpful observation, hidden insight, a miraculous burst of knowledge!

"Lisa?"

"Okay, fine, gah!" Lisa hissed. She finally took a handful of markers out of the basket and passed it to Darcy, before lining the markers out on top of her still empty paper and organizing them by color. Who know there could be so many hidden constraints associated with an activity intended for children?

She had a selection now, but she wasn't anywhere closer to knowing where to start. So many questions left unanswered! She still didn't know what color to use, nor did she know why she had markers instead of any other utensil, she didn't even have the slightest idea on what to draw! Think, Lisa, think! Why do people draw!?

Lost in thought, a surprising tug on her left shoulder snapped her back into reality. She tensed up and her heart skipped a beat, turning left to the source to see her friend again.

"Look what I made!" Darcy chirped. She held in front of her a picture depicting two of… something. It was near impossible to tell. They looked like a bunch of scribbles and shapes, with any coherence or structure to them being minimal at best.

"What is that?" Lisa raised an eyebrow and pointed at the figure to the left.

"It's a kitty!" Darcy beamed at that.

Lisa squinted and strained her eyes as she further studied the "kitty", as described by her friend. Thinking about it now, it did somewhat resemble a feline figure, but that was with Darcy's assistance and numerous absurd justifications to fit the image. There were two overly large triangles protruding from what she could only assume was the head. Aside from that however, the rest of the drawing was a mystery.

"I see…" Lisa hummed to herself. "Could you maybe describe what this is?" She pointed to the center of the cat, which was littered with scribbles and terribly disorganized lines, while also missing several anatomical features.

"They're whiskers!" Darcy answered.

Again, now that her friend said it was one, Lisa saw the resemblance. Several of those lines did indeed look like whiskers, albeit a bit too close to the center.

"I believe most domesticated cats only have 6 whiskers total," Lisa said.

Darcy merely blinked at that.

"Never mind," Lisa dismissed with a wave of her hand. "There are more pressing questions to be asked here. Where are the eyes?"

"Oh?!" Darcy grabbed a marker from the basket and filled in two circles on the face. "Here they are!" she said, holding the picture up again.

The ink of the marker contrasted with the color and texture of the crayons Darcy had used on the picture, and admittedly, it wasn't very pleasing to look at. Lisa opened her mouth to say just that, but closed it quickly and turned her attention back to her still blank canvas. If Darcy's drawing was, ahem, not adequately resembling what was intended, then surely Lisa could do the same!

"Did you see the other thing I drew?" Darcy asked.

Lisa turned left to see her friend still holding the picture out in front of her. This time, she was pointing at the figure on the right side, a combination of scribbles and shapes that were just as indistinguishable as the so-called cat beside it.

"Now what could that possibly be?" Lisa asked. A subtle hint of disdain seeped through in her tone, but some part of her truly wanted to know. The way Darcy formed these images were, suffice to say, intriguing. Perhaps she knew something Lisa was missing…

"It's you!" Darcy said. With that, she put on the proudest grin she had all day.

Lisa raised an eyebrow at that. An interesting choice, if she said so herself. But alas, she had to point out the many failures of her attempt at depicting her. Darcy seemed to have a habit with simply scribbling in parts instead of accurately drawing them. Her drawing of Lisa's head was merely a concentrated scribble in an area, vaguely resembling an upside-down triangle. She definitely remembered the glasses, there were two abnormally large round circles stacked on top of that scribble, albeit with no eyes to accompany them. The rest of the body was more or less colored correctly, albeit with the same low effort scribbles that Lisa had to strain her eyes to make out.

"Hmm…" Lisa hummed to herself. "Could do better if the goal is to preserve a memory of me. Why not a photograph?"

Hearing this, Darcy lowered her drawing, her smile diminishing, and a small frown replacing it. "You don't like it?"

This was a situation Lisa was all too familiar with. It was an attempt at obtaining some kind of approval or confirmation of notions, genuine or otherwise. Past attempts had been made at responding with genuine honesty, and the majority of them ended with hurt feelings and weakened relations.

So instead, she gave the 'correct response', forcing a smile on her face. "Quite the contrary. I appreciate it," she said.

Darcy quickly returned to her regular upbeat demeanor upon hearing those words. "Thanks Lisa!"

"Don't mention it," she responded. Usually a common throwaway phrase, but in this instance, she meant it in the literal sense. So many questions welled up regarding Darcy and her drawing. How did she decide what to draw? Why was Lisa and the cat put into the same picture? What was the process behind drawing those deformed faces, or the incomplete body parts? Why wouldn't she just take a photograph!?

The last one was the most irritating of all. Taking a photograph would have been faster, less time consuming, and a more accurate depiction of what was intended. It just seemed better in every way.

"Say, Darcy, why did you choose to draw me?"

"You're my friend!" She chirped in response.

"Yes, I suppose some sentimentalism is expected," Lisa said.

In that moment, a lightbulb went off in her head. Ahah! Perhaps her friend was onto something. Art was an academic requirement, and it was imperative that she got something down, lest she doom herself for the rest of the year. If drawing redundant pictures of her friend was something Lisa had to do to pass, so be it. Not like it was much different from snoozing through single digit addition problems. She had a plan, now time to set it into motion!

With that, Lisa picked up a brown marker, pushed all the others aside, and uncapped it, ready to 'draw to her heart's content' as her teacher instructed.

So where to start…

Lisa started by drawing a line on the page. She could almost hear the faint scratching sound the marker tip made against the surface. Slowly, she continued, making a loop around and about, eventually forming an oval shape about the size of her fist.

There! Lisa put the marker down as she finished. One part down. That wasn't so bad, was it? So she sat, staring at the shape she made just now and contemplating her next move.

The more she stared however, the deeper her eyebrows furrowed, as the shape became more deformed before her eyes. What was she even drawing? That looked nothing like the persons she was trying to depict. Human heads are never perfectly oval. If that was the case, it would be an extraordinary biological anomaly that demanded studying.

With a sigh, she picked the paper up and crumpled it within her hands, throwing the ball towards the center of the table before pinching her temples together. What a disastrous start! How could she possibly be this much of an embarrassment? Truly a disgrace to her intellectual capacity!

She reached in for another sheet, laying it neatly in front of her before picking up the same brown marker. Think, Lisa, think! Darcy's head was definitely not a perfect oval. So, what was it?

Lisa turned her head left to see her friend working on another drawing, humming a tune to match her expression of pure innocent joy. The shape of her head was hard to discern. It resembled an oval, yes, but that just wouldn't do. What exactly was it? There were so many curves and irregularities, an accurate facsimile would be, simply put, difficult to create.

Darcy's head kept moving too, adding even more constraints than were already there to the drawing process. It wasn't like Lisa could ask her to just stop moving either, who knew how time consuming this task would be? Not to mention, that was just the head. Even if she were to somehow finish drawing that part, there was the rest of the body, and all the complications associated with it. Just how the heck was she supposed to draw this!?

"Lisa, you haven't drawn anything!" a voice said from behind.

Hearing this, Lisa turned her body to see Ms. Ortega, looking downwards a smile.

"Er, right!" she said, shifting in her seat. "A few minor complications, but they'll be resolved in due time." She forced a smile on her face at that.

"It's okay to ask for help Lisa," Ms. Ortega reassured her.

Asking for help!? It was one thing to ask for help in her household. Simple tasks like making PB&J sandwiches, or making the bed, they were tasks someone would help her with out of benevolence. But to do the same in school would be acutely embarrassing. All this time, Lisa was left to her independent studies, considering the material was juvenile compared to the skills she had exhibited. Just what would it mean if she were to stoop down to the level of her peers? What more, just what would it mean if Lisa of all people was the only one having trouble grasping what several others achieved with ease? That was a stain she could never have on her academic record. Completely unacceptable!

"A generous offer, but I'll politely decline." She turned back to her seat and picked up the brown marker again. For a few seconds, she just sat there, holding the marker and ready to draw. Eventually, the presence she felt behind her disappeared, the soft footsteps becoming distant as the figure started circling around the table.

Finally, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Reaching up to her forehead, she wiped off the sweat that she didn't even realize were there again. Truth be told, maintain this formal appearance was proving to be an extraordinarily difficult task. Lisa definitely wasn't calm. It was 9:12 right now, which meant Lisa was approximately one thirds of the way through the class period, and she had nothing to show for it! Not even a face.

She put the marker tip on the paper and started with a line again, turning to note her friend's complexion. There was a certain curvature that was very difficult to replicate, and she had to pay close attention to truly capture it.

A glance back at the paper however, and she immediately crumpled it up again. Absolutely unacceptable! She left her marker tip in one place for too long, concentrating too much ink into a dot and causing a smudge. What more, the curvature was completely wrong. It was extremely difficult to look at Darcy and draw at the same time. Lisa could definitely draw a better representation, she just had to!

This time, she studied Darcy's face for several seconds, intently focused on all the details that were once but an insignificant feature of a whole. With that mental image, she turned back, putting her marker on the page and making a stroke. Immediately as she did so, the image in her mind was now but a fleeting memory, so easily forgotten and flushed out of her mind. What more, curves she drew were still nowhere near what she was supposed to represent. Not even close!

With a groan, Lisa buried her head within her arms. At this rate, it was just looking to be an impossible task. The more time passed, the more her motivation for her work dwindled. She was trapped within the confines of her own inferiority; someone that could instantaneously square five-digit numbers with ease, yet couldn't produce even a single drawing for a 1st grade class. How could she even compare herself to the many great scientific minds out there, if she couldn't jump over a simple hurdle in an elementary class!? Such infuriating irony! Shame on herself!

"What's wrong?"

Lisa turned her head sideways to face her friend once more. There, she saw that Darcy was no longer drawing, instead returning the gaze with genuine concern in her eyes. She was a good person, very caring and a gateway to many new experiences, but alas, she had no stake in this. It wasn't her fault that Lisa was deficient.

So, she turned to face the other direction, away from her friend. "Myself," she muttered.

"What?"

Darcy's drawing was bad, yes. But the fact was, she had a drawing. She had ideas. She acted upon them, had something to submit. What did Lisa have to offer?

"Nothing," she said. "Forget it, I'll be fine."

Oh, how she wished she could forget it all.


	10. Chapter 10

So much untapped potential remained in this world. So much left to be discovered and understood. So much to be utilized.

That was a journey that Lisa set out to complete from her earliest years, and it was ongoing today, from the first time she ever picked up a book, to when she presently stood at her desk, connecting wires together for her latest invention. Today was the day she would accomplish what millions- no,  _billions_ of people before her couldn't achieve tonight in her personal laboratory.

Ah, but making history didn't come easy! One had to stand out from the rest of the crowd. It wasn't like anyone could just scribble a bunch of shapes and be done with it! No, this project required a true understanding of the world around them. The natural laws and limitations universal to all life, and how they can be benefited by all. The collective observations of an advanced society, the woes of our conflicts, our increased standards of living, and a desire to seek a greater tomorrow.

But alas! Today was the day! With this peace-making invention, mankind could collectively enjoy this tool, perfectly harnessing our natural resources and uniting us under a common goal!

So, Lisa grinned as she continued wiring her chocolate fountain together. Boy, she couldn't wait to slurp up some of that delectable goodness!

…what? Everyone likes chocolate! Those serotonin levels weren't gonna raise themselves! At least, that was something most people could agree on…

The grin turned into a smaller chuckle as she moved her hands from the fountain and viewed her creation from a distance. Look at that thing, all the complex mechanical processes it has to undergo to deliver the goods. There was the screw within, the motor, the computer programming, they were the results of thousands of years worth of research from all kinds of brilliant minds, coming together to make this curious little device.

So how was it that she couldn't draw even a single worthwhile picture!?

Lisa ruffled her hair aggressively as she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. These thoughts of being in art class, they continued to plague her mind, hours after it had already passed. The numerous decisions and breaking points within the process, her inability to progress beyond a single line, and the helplessness behind it all, that was a school experience unlike any other. That was the first time she was legitimately challenged.

She stopped and opened her eyes to look at the fountain once more. Her classmates couldn't possibly construct a machine like this. They didn't possess the necessary knowledge! So why was Lisa Loud, recipient of four PhDs, Junior Nobel Prize winner, and professor to Royal Woods Community College, unable to produce a simple drawing!? Even the lowliest of her classmates were capable of such an extraneous task!

"Who are you talking to?"

Lisa turned to see Lily standing behind her, blankies slung around her shoulders as usual.

Seeing this, Lisa heaved a sigh and hung her head down slightly. "I don't know, she muttered."

"It's okay Lisa," Lily reassured her. "You're smart."

Lily had good intentions, but it wasn't like she could possibly grasp the gravity of the situation. She was still very young, and there was still so much for her to learn.

"Say, Lily, I think you might find some intrinsic value in the device I'm about to finish," Lisa said. "Why don't you come up here and get a closer look?"

Lily squinted as she looked her older sister in the, whom returned a gaze; one that clearly indicated she was hiding something. In a matter of seconds however, Lily dropped her gaze and relaxed, walking up to the desk and standing on her toes in an attempt to get a good view.

"This here is a liquidated cacao propulsion device, street name 'chocolate fountain'," Lisa explained. "You like chocolate too, don't ya?"

Lily nodded at that. The inquisitive nature slowly disappeared from her face, replacing itself with curiosity and wonder.

"Oh, who am I kidding, we all like chocolate!" Lisa laughed as she slapped her forehead. "That's one of the few things our family can collectively agree upon, aside from basic moral principles, a hierarchical authority ranking- oh shucks, the list could go on!"

Lisa dragged the machine closer to herself for Lily to see. "Now this here is a very special device," she started. "It's capable of converting our beloved chocolate within this household into a liquidated variant, which allows for a whole new method of consumption. Now I don't know about you, but I've always wanted to try some chocolate covered strawberries!" she licked her lips and patted her stomach at the thought.

As Lisa passionately ranted on about her invention, Lily's eyes wandered towards the various other items strewn all across the desk. Papers, books, and writing utensils (just #2 pencils, mind you!), it was a mess as usual. Specifically of interest however was a beaker in the middle, filled to the brim with leaves from outside. Lily's eyes landed on it, and she couldn't help but focus intently, rendering her older sister's words as nothing but background noise.

"There are some kinks I'll have to work out though…" Lisa hummed to herself at the thought. "Let's see, I have to wire the electronic circuit, program the buttons, the melting point of the machine is somewhat dubious, gosh I can't forget that! Chocolate would melt easily, but who's to say we're restricted to chocolate? We could theoretically have a cheese fondue fountain, that sounds delightful as well! If I improve the loading compartment with- hey!"

Just before her, Lily was reaching her arms over the edge of the desk, and they were clearly snaking their way towards the beaker, which stood out from the rest.

"Nonono! Lily!" Lisa gasped as she immediately reached for the beaker and grabbed it, standing on top of her stool to place it on the shelf above.

Panic turned to annoyance as she turned towards her younger sister, briefly clenching her fists and letting out a frustrated growl. "That was very careless reaching for that beaker, you know what kinds of dangerous chemicals I work with here!" she scolded. "You're fortunate that was just a bunch of leaves, imagine if that was a vat of hydrofluoric acid! Spill it, and there goes my life's work, or worse, your skin!" Lisa jabbed Lily's skull with her finger for emphasis.

"After all these times I've talked to you, somehow you still manage to forget!" She facepalmed as she said that. "You can't just go and touch anything and everything! I suppose you'll reach for anything that glows or stands out from the crowd! Absolutely irresponsible, and you should be ashamed!"

It was at that moment when she first noticed Lily's expression. Her sister faced her direction, but didn't look up at her, head hung downwards with regret. Seeing this, Lisa softened her gaze, annoyance replacing itself with concern as she slowly dropped the hand on her face. As much as it annoyed her to admit this now, seeing her younger sister in this state didn't sit well with her.

So, Lisa reached over to Lily's shoulder and rested her hand there, glancing downwards towards her eyes. "Look," she began, "I may be harsh on you sometimes, but it's for the best. I can't be lenient in the face of all the dangerous work I conduct on a daily basis."

Lily didn't respond.

Several seconds passed, and Lisa picked at any kind of lead or guidance, looking for any more words to say to her sister. But alas, they were fruitless endeavors. Eventually, Lisa couldn't help but join her sister in hanging her head down as well.

Just what was she supposed to do? She couldn't let her sister go this time, could she? Imagine the ramifications, the slippery slope they would tread! One leniency after another, and a bad precedence is set! For such an unforgiving field nonetheless, best not to encourage the start of a trend, absolutely not!

But still, Lily stood in front of her, now glancing away to the side. Talk herself through the logic as much as she will, that did little to remediate the sting, as her sister's disappointment continued to transplant itself into Lisa's conscience.

With that, Lisa turned herself towards the machine and started picking at the wires again. Anything to get her mind off this situation. It may have been confusing now, but the message undoubtedly came through.

Suddenly, electrical sparks shot out from the machine, causing Lisa and Lily to jump back in surprise. The sparks landed on some of the sparks landed on the papers strewn across the desk, igniting a fire with it. The flames were small now, but they would quickly grow. What more, they had already taken one of her research papers, and it was quickly encroaching on the rest of the table.

Lisa gasped as she frantically gathered the books and papers she could, shoving them on the ground below. Who cares if they were a mess now, their very existence was at stake! Damn if she let weeks of work go to waste!

But still, the flames continued to grow, and the number of papers she could save continued to shrink. Her head turned wildly and her hair was ruffled in frustration and panic, as she grasped at literally anything she could do. Instinctively, she reached for a blanket in her peripheral vision, smothering the fire in hopes of extinguishing it.

To her dismay however, the fire didn't go out. Instead, the blanket lit on fire as well. Lisa facepalmed at that. Of course it wouldn't go out! Cotton, very flammable!

So, she ran over to her closet, where she opened it and grabbed the fire extinguisher before running back to the desk. Teeth clenched, fingers shaking, she pulled the pin and trigger, letting loose all the foam within. They encapsulated the top of the desk, covering everything from the papers, books, the chocolate fountain, and some probably got on Lily.

The flames were long gone, but it took a few more seconds for Lisa to realize before she finally let go of the trigger. The foam stopped shooting out at that, leaving her to behold the scene ahead of her. It wasn't the first time there was a fire in the room. In fact, this was a situation she had been in several times now. That didn't make the reaction any less stressful; after all, her entire life's work was at stake!

Beside the desk however, Lily wiped some foam off her face, taking one of her blankies off her shoulder, where she gazed down at it, tears welling up in her eyes as she caressed her prized possession.

Oh no. The other blanket, it's…

Lisa frantically swatted away at the foam on the desk, throwing them off to the side and uncovering the contents below. Some of the papers were soaked, but they were salvageable. They could be restored with a bit of work and time. Some however weren't so fortunate, being burnt to a crisp and reduced to ashes. The most unfortunate victim of all however was a lavender cotton blankie, most of which was charred, and quite literally hanging on by a thread. Lisa grabbed it and held them within her arms, scanning her eyes several eyes over in disbelief at what she saw.

"Nonononono!" She immediately dashed towards her closet, slamming it open and rummaging through the shelves, baskets, and piles for anything that could remotely help the situation. Meanwhile, Lily started audibly crying from behind, only furthering her resolve to search harder. Pliers, thermometers, breakers, there was a lot to dig through, the options dwindling and her hopes along with it.

Eventually, she pulled out a type of synthetic fiber, black all around and with a scaly exterior. It was supposed to be a prototype for a military grade body-suit, definitely not for everyday use. However, it was the closest thing she could find resembling a cloth, and at this stage she was willing to take anything. She wasted no time in running back to the desk, where she saw Lily still weeping, clutching the both the charred and clean blankie close to herself.

"Pardon me!" Lisa yelled as she grabbed the charred blankie from Lily and threw it onto the table. She then reached down to pull a drawer open with enough force to almost pull it off the hinges, rummaging through the contents for anything helpful. When she found nothing but papers, she tried again with the other drawer, opening it with almost the same amount of excess force. She grabbed at one of the first vials she saw, threw it onto the desk, then slammed the drawer shut. Maybe she could get somewhere! The blankie might be saved! It had to be!

Lisa popped the vial open and poured its contents alongside the charred end of the blankie, spilling some on the desk along the way. She then took the fibers and straightened them out with enough force where any regular cloth would have torn apart. With that, she aligned the edges to the glue, smacking her fist down repeatedly against the edges in a desperate attempt to connect the pieces.

As she continued however, her fists started to sting a bit, eventually causing them to loosen up and relax. Her face loosened as well, the tension slowly dissipating and her hopes vanishing at what lay on her desk.

The synthetic military-grade fiber looked  _awful_. Yes, it was practical, and if by a collection of unfortunate circumstances an explosion went off in her sleep (which to be fair wasn't impossible), then she would be very well protected.

However, she couldn't help but turn back to see Lily whimpering behind her. Her sister squeezed her lone blankie tightly to herself as she sat on the floor and curled herself forwards, still refusing to acknowledge her older sister.

There was no denying it. Lisa messed up.

What more, she didn't have what it took to replace Lily's blankie. There was a certain softness, a sentimental value, and a tender touch to the blankie that she couldn't replicate. There was only one person in the household that could ever make such a thing.

"Uh, I'll be back." With a sigh, Lisa took the blanket off her desk and slumped her shoulders as she trudged her way towards the door, leaving a distraught Lily behind. She couldn't face her right now, and it wouldn't be any harder to face the person she was forced to approach.

She pulled the door open and poked her head out, taking a glance to the left at the room she would soon enter. A few seconds spent staring, then a quick glance away towards the floor. Eventually, she stepped out and pulled the door shut behind her, walking towards the other end with her head hung down.

The thoughts swirling her mind were but a million conflicting emotions and thoughts, with little coherence to any of them. Lisa Loud, a child prodigy with this vast reservoir of knowledge, unable to produce a simple drawing for a measly grade. Responsible for her younger sister, yet careless with her self-devised danger zone. Capable of constructing functional chocolate fountains, yet somehow confounded by a colored sheet of fabric. She was a failure.

At last, Lisa arrived in front of the door. She held the half-charred blanket in front of her at that, her eyes now filled with sorrow and regret. It looked just as awful as the person that caused the damage.

Nevertheless, there was a little sister without a blankie waiting for her, and mourning wouldn't accomplish anything. So, she slung the blanket over her shoulder, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, prepared for humiliation and resentment coming her way.

"Here goes," she said as she opened the door.

When she did so, she noticed for the first time a small whirring sound, accompanied by an equally subtle puncturing noise. Up ahead was Leni, sitting in front of her sewing machine, humming a tune to match the cloth that was being made.

Lisa crept closer, not saying a word nor making a sound. She found herself enamored by the cloth in the machine, with all the aesthetic beauty and craftsmanship that went into it. The warm colors, the silky smooth surface, the patterns woven within… She couldn't quite put her finger on why, but if it wasn't captivating nonetheless…

"Hey Lisa!"

With that, she was snapped back into reality, a rude awakening from her older sister calling to her. She fumbled as she quickly got herself upright and faced Leni, who continued to work, but gleamed down with a smile.

"Uh, greetings second eldest sibling!" Lisa said. "I, uh, I came to…" She trailed off at that.

"Came for what?" Leni asked. Her gaze remained unchanging, and the sincerity in her voice was unmistakable.

Lisa stood frozen in place, unable to say a word. To utter then would be a strike to her already tainted character, and a downed person could only take so many blows.

"Is that Lily's blankie?" Leni pointed at the lavender cloth slung around Lisa's shoulder.

Well, she could only dance around the facts for so long before she got exposed to the all-encompassing truth they were subject to. Lisa pulled the blanket off her shoulder and glanced away as she held it in front of her.

Seeing this, Leni gasped and put her hands on her cheeks. "OMGosh! This is terrible!" she immediately snatched it from Lisa and started frantically fumbling with them in her hands, feasting her eyes on the horror that lay before her. The blanket was nearly unrecognizable compared to the masterpiece it once was, reduced to a charred mess and a dream long gone.

"We have got to fix this!" She yelped, pushing the cloth in her sewing machine aside to position the blankie.

Lisa offered no resistance to this, standing with her head hung down staring at the ground. What was there for her to see? Shameful that she couldn't figure out how to fix the problem. It was her fault that she was in this situation in the first place. Try as she would to protect her little sister from fatal mistakes, it was ironic how Lisa couldn't keep herself safe either.

Heaving a sigh, she turned and trudged her way towards her older sister's bed, seating herself on the edge. With that, she dropped herself down backwards, and the bed made a soft oomph. At this stage, she could only stare at the blank ceiling and hope her mind would reach a similar state. Let Leni take care of it all, and forget this ever happened. What was one self-imposed cognitive dissonance for Lisa when she was as incomplete as she was?

In the midst of all this self reflection however, the repetitive puncturing noise of the sewing machine ahead kept creeping into her mind. Rhythmic and consistent, not exactly soothing, but not grating either. Enough of a presence for Lisa to glance up at the source of the noise.

There Leni was, going at it as usual. She reached for a textile roll next to her desk, measured a segment with her finger, cut it with a pair of scissors from nearby, and positioned them near the machine, humming a tune to herself along the way.

Such a wide range of textiles Leni had access to, all with their own set of vibrant colors and enchanting patterns! The colors extend beyond the seven basics, expanding into variants like turquoise and beige. The diversity in patterns were unparalleled, stacking all sorts of shapes, patterns, lines, and squiggles in ways most could only begin to imagine. It was a wonder how her older sister could take all the complexities, all the possible factors present, and somehow connect them together into a piece that was inexplicably coherent and aesthetically pleasing.

"Done!" Leni beamed as she turned around and held the blanket in front for Lisa to see.

There it was, beautifully woven with a comforting allure. It was just as good as new, with the same lavender silkiness and no traces of combustion or char to it. All in a matter of seconds too! She made it look so easy. No, it should have been easy! Lisa grumbled to herself at that thought, glancing away from the desk and down towards the floor.

In the meantime, Leni walked over to Lisa where she sat on the bed, handing the blankie to her.

Lisa held them in her hands, noting the fluffy cotton texture that they had. The color was familiar, the patterns were mesmerizing, truly the result of masterful craftsmanship! She couldn't help but hold the blanket up to her face and rub it against her cheeks, taking comfort in the softness of it all.

Alas, that didn't last very long. Lisa eventually lowered the blanket, dropping it to her right before staring down with hands clasped together. "Thanks," she muttered.

Meanwhile, the cheerful smile that Leni wore started to drop, her gaze softening and an expression of concern replacing it. "You don't like it?" she asked.

Lisa didn't respond.

Seeing this, Leni inched herself closer to her sister until they were directly next to each other. She then put her hand on Lisa's back and started rubbing it softly. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Chills went up Lisa's spine as she felt the display of affection, and she instinctively swatted Leni's hand away. "None of your concern," she grumbled.

Leni was taken aback by that. "Why not?" She asked.

Lisa balled her hands into a fist and clenched her teeth at that. It wasn't fair! What did she do to deserve this disturbing disparity in skill?! What embarrassment, creating a problem, and being unable to take personal responsibility! To resort to her older sister to bear this burden… For once, she  _didn't_ want to think about it.

Lisa hopped off the bed, slinging the blankie over her shoulder as she started walking towards the door. "You wouldn't understand," she mumbled.

Suddenly, Lisa felt a tug from her left arm, and she was pulled backwards toward the bed. Just like that, she was back where she started, with her older sister's concerned gaze looking down.

"Why won't you let me help?" Leni asked.

"There's nothing you can do!" Lisa started raising her voice.

"I can at least try!"

There was an assertive tone to Leni's voice. But at the same time, there wasn't a hint of aggression to be heard. Her voice was of pure concern, a strong nudge in a certain direction, and unmistakable for what she believed was the best. Lisa felt her shoulders relaxing, and soon she was back to clasping her hand together, glancing downwards at the floor below. "What could you possibly know?" She whimpered."What do I know?"

Lisa soon felt an arm wrap around her shoulder from her left side, coming from none other than Leni. "It's okay Lisa," she said. "You don't always have to know. I can help you." Not once did her voice waver or falter.

Hearing this, Lisa took a deep breath. She was still dubious about the actual content of the words themselves, but nothing could outshine the genuine concern and care that Leni was demonstrating with the rest of herself.

"I don't know…" Lisa started. "There are things I don't know that I otherwise should…"

"Like what?" Leni asked.

"How about, I don't know, everything?" Lisa threw her arms out in front of her. "Look at me! PhD, junior nobel prize, a vast expansive set of knowledge unparalleled by anyone in a 60 mile radius!" She cried. "Me, thrown into a standardized grade school curriculum, unable to produce a simple drawing!" She laughed sardonically at that. "Art class, that inane recreational activity, one adored by millions of children worldwide, who knew it would be the most diabolical undertaking of them all!?"

Leni simply sat and watched.

"All these egregious errors I make too! Who am I to be an authority figure to Lily if I can't hold myself accountable!?" Lisa cried. "What does that say about me, huh?!"

Lisa then picked up the blankie, squeezing them with her shaking fists. "This blankie…a simple fulfillment of a basic human desire to feel comfort… Such a masterpiece beyond comprehension. Look at me!" She tossed the blankie aside. "Crafting chocolate fountains, time machines, complexities exceeding average human threshold! A light undertaking. Some soft piece of fleece? Color me confounded!"

With that, Lisa buried her hands within her arms, all while Leni patiently watched and listened.

"Just what is happening to me?" Lisa moped. "Apologies for this incessant complaining, dear sister. I don't know what came over me. Dwelling on faults won't address anything."

"Lisa, it's okay!" Leni said. "You're doing great!"

"You call that greatness?!" Lisa roared. " The knowledge I have, the resources I possess, the world's secrets at my fingertips! All this potential, all that can be unlocked, what a disgrace to not hold standards! What do you know of greatness?!"

"I don't!" Leni cried. "But I know you don't have to be!"

Lisa was taken aback by the confidence Leni displayed in her words. Of all the dim moments Leni had in her life, this had to be the darkest of them all. How could someone so surely make such obviously false statements?! This just demanded an explanation.

"Proceed," she said.

Leni's eyes shifted to the side, uncertainty seeping through her glance. "Well, I make a lot of mistakes. I know I'm not perfect."

 _Tell me about it,_  Lisa wanted to say.

"Do you remember Lily's birthday party?" Leni asked. "The one where I was in charge?" Her voice dipped downwards in tone, her voice slightly lower.

Lisa thought to herself as she remembered that day. Leni's inability to maintain order, her disorganized fleeting nature, her failure to keep watch of a mixer for longer than 30 seconds…

"I messed up a lot. I didn't know what I was doing," Leni continued. "Lori made being in charge look so easy! I wanted to make a perfect party for Lily, but I know you guys want to help too."

At least she was honest enough to admit it to herself .

"Maybe I was sad when it happened. Who wouldn't?" She said, forcing a smile. "But we still had an awesome party, right?"

Probing through the depths of her cranium, she recalled the group hug they shared as Lily came down the stairs. The physical closeness, the familial comfort, that was a memory dear and close to herself.

"Lily loved her gift I made her too! She never goes anywhere without it now!" Leni said. "That counts for something!"

As Lisa continued listening to the conversation, the storm of thoughts and emotions swirling within started to simmer, now more akin to a light drizzle. Leni's voice was soothing. Never demanding or overbearing, almost reassuring even.

"I know I'm not perfect, Lisa. But I still try my best." Her forced smile was now more genuine as it grew slightly wider. "I can still help on my own way. And I know if I ever have trouble, you guys will always be there for me."

With that, Leni reached in for a hug from the side. Lisa felt the pressure exerting itself onto her shoulders, a bittersweet display of affection.

"I'm here for you, Lisa," she reassured her. "You don't have to know everything. It's okay to make mistakes. You're perfect the way you are."

The hug lasted for several seconds more, until Leni finally let go of the embrace. With it, her warmth and closeness left as well. Lisa remained stunned, unable to comprehend just what was happening to her.

"I uh, I should go..." Lisa quickly stood up, slung the blankie over her shoulder, and beelined towards the exit with a quick pace. Leni made no attempt to stop her, simply watching her by as her sister slipped through the exit without another word.

In the hallway, Lisa found herself caught in another storm of thoughts and emotions, this time further exacerbated by words from a certain ditzy fashionista. Oh, how she wanted for Leni to be wrong. Her views were so backwards, so contradictory, they just didn't  _feel_ right. But Leni compelled her with a power beyond what words could describe. A feeling of intense positivity, love and support. In times of vulnerability, where Lisa was coming to terms with being incomplete, Leni nearly gave her the closure to make it all seem okay.

Lisa arrived at the door and reached for the doorknob, wheel and axle grinding against each other as she turned it slowly. She carefully opened the door, making a creaking noise only heard when one didn't want to be noticed, and further augmented by the dead silence inside.

In the center of the room, Lily sat, head hung down and not a sign of movement from her at all. Her whimpering had ceased, and tears no longer leaked from her nasolacrimal ducts. The signs of distress were no longer overtly obvious, but she knew it all; Lily still longed for her lost blankie.

A part of her begged for her to reconsider; to turn around and walk away, or to go straight to the desk and take matters into her own hands, take responsibility for her actions and prove she too could fix it. Yet, with the innocent questions she asked, the disappointment she radiated upon losing her prized possession, Lily's emotional state reached her in a way no rational line of thought could. With that, Lisa took a deep breath and slowly walked over to where Lily was, careful not to make any excessive noise. Foiled by her inane human emotions yet again, yet for a cause she could fully endorse.

Soon, she came around in front of Lily, who still stared down at the ground below. Lisa stared downwards as well, watching her sister for any signs of movement. In due time, she would acknowledge her presence. She  _wanted_  for Lily to acknowledge her presence.

Eventually, she did, turning her head upwards, meeting her gaze with her older sister. Lily's eyes glanced to the side at a familiar color slung around the shoulder, then back at the glasses Lisa hid behind. With that, her eyes started to widen, and the slight downwards curve on her face turned upwards into a massive smile.

Lisa glanced away at that, unable to return the positivity. She still had to remember why she ended up in this situation in the first place. Her inability to comprehend a simple art assignment, letting her frustration get to her in her lab, and her carelessness with extinguishing the resulting electrical fire. They were all entirely her faults, issues that could have been avoided or never should have existed in the first place. As far as she knew, they would be long-lasting stains on her character, and would always put her intellectual capabilities into doubt. Lily would account for these experiences, and the trust established between them would surely be damaged, if not destroyed completely.

However, as her gaze returned to her little sister, she none of that. Lily still gazed upwards, and she was pointing a finger at the blankie. Her eyes however were strictly on Lisa, with not indication of malice or discontent. It seemed that Lily had little recollection of who was responsible, nor did she hold any discernible grudge. There was only the purest of joy in having been reunited with her lavender blankie.

She crouched down to meet her gaze at her level, and Lily's eyes followed.

"Look, I know I haven't been perfect," she began. "I have many faults, some egregious errors, lapses in judgment... my inability to comprehend basic concepts that define our humanity. The list is far too large for my own good."

With that, Lisa crouched down and unslung the blankie from her shoulder, handing it over to her sister with a forced smile.

"One of these days, I'll be free of those inhibitions, mark my words," she continued. "But for now, I realize I've not treated you with decorum, and I'd like to apologize for that. Consider this repaired annual benefaction a token of appreciation, courtesy of Leni."

Lily giggled at that, grabbing the blankie and clutching it like there was no tomorrow. Lisa couldn't help but mirror the expression, the forced smile becoming genuine by the second. All the doubt and uncertainty, they mattered not in the face of her sister's joy. Today, that was all she could ask for.


End file.
